Lamp November 2016

lamp THE MAGAZINE OF THE NSW NURSES AND MIDWIVES’ ASSOCIATION

VOLUME 73 No.10 NOVEMBER 2016

WYONG HOSPITAL NOT FOR SALE EVERYTHING MUST GO Print Post Approved: PP100007890

PRIVATISATION DAMAGING ECONOMY

A HEROIC NURSE

COVER STORY

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2 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

CONTENTS

CONTACTS NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association For all membership enquiries and assistance, including Lamp subscriptions and change of address, contact our Sydney office.

Sydney Office 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 (all correspondence) T 8595 1234 (metro) 1300 367 962 (non-metro) F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au W www.nswnma.asn.au

VOLUME 73 No.10 NOVEMBER 2016

Hunter Office 8-14 Telford Street, Newcastle East NSW 2300

COVER STORY

8 | Wyong Hospital not for sale!

Over 2000 people rallied in Wyong to tell Mike Baird and his government that they won’t let their local hospital be sold out from under them.

5 6 25 33 35 37 39 41 43 44 46

COVER STORY

Editorial Your letters News in brief Ask Judith Nurse Uncut Social media Nursing Research Online Crossword Books Movies of the month Diary dates PRIVATISATION

12 | Meg is still sticking up for public health During the 2015 state election campaign, Meg Pendrick starred in an NSWNMA television ad that warned voters the Baird government would try to privatise and Americanise our health system. She’s back to continue that fight.

NURSING HISTORY

14 | NSW – Everything Must Go! A host of public services are set to disappear as the NSW Liberal government pushes ahead with the sale and contracting out of government operations.

COMPETITION

6 | Win a relaxing stay at beautiful Nelson Bay

For all editorial enquiries letters and diary dates T 8595 1234 E lamp@nswnma.asn.au M 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 Produced by Hester Communications T 9568 3148 Press Releases Send your press releases to: F 9662 1414 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au

Nurses and midwives from Wyong Hospital PHOTOGRAPH: SHARON HICKEY

REGULARS

NSWNMA Communications Manager Janaki Chellam-Rajendra T 1300 367 962

21 | Remarkable WWI nurse honoured A Sydney nurse who served in Egypt and on hospital ships during WWI, earning a Red Cross medal for her bravery, has finally been honoured with a memorial at her previously unmarked grave.

SUPERANNUATION

31 | Superannuation changes may help close the gender gap The federal government has confirmed in its new super tax measures that it will reverse its previous decision to abolish the Low Income Super Contribution.

Editorial Committee • Brett Holmes, NSWNMA General Secretary • Judith Kiejda, NSWNMA Assistant General Secretary • Coral Levett, NSWNMA President • Peg Hibbert, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital • Michelle Cashman, Long Jetty Continuing Care • Richard Noort, Justice Health Advertising Danielle Nicholson T 8595 2139 or 0429 269 750 F 9662 1414 E dnicholson@nswnma.asn.au Information and Records Management Centre To find archived articles from The Lamp, or to borrow from the NSWNMA nursing and health collection, contact: Jeannette Bromfield, Coordinator T 8595 2175 E gensec@nswnma.asn.au The Lamp ISSN: 0047-3936 General disclaimer The Lamp is the official magazine of the NSWNMA. Views expressed in articles are contributors’ own and not necessarily those of the NSWNMA. Statements of fact are believed to be true, but no legal responsibility is accepted for them. All material appearing in The Lamp is covered by copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission. The NSWNMA takes no responsibility for the advertising appearing herein and it does not necessarily endorse any products advertised.

Privacy Privacy statement: The NSWNMA collects personal information from members in order to perform our role of representing their industrial and professional interests.

We place great emphasis on maintaining and enhancing the privacy and security of your personal information.

Personal information is protected under law and can only be released to someone else where the law requires or where you give permission. If you have concerns about your personal information please contact the NSWNMA office. If you are still not satisfied that your privacy is being maintained, you can contact the Privacy Commission.

Subscriptions for 2017 Free to all Association members. Professional members can subscribe to the magazine at a reduced rate of $30.

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EDITORIAL

BY BRETT HOLMES, GENERAL SECRETARY

Wyong shows the way Our campaign against the privatisation of five regional hospitals kicked off with a massive and inspirational rally at Wyong. Since then, the Baird government has already backed down on the privatisation of Goulburn hospital.

Anger and outrage. Those were the emotions I felt when I addressed a massive crowd of over 2000 at the Wyong Leagues Club Oval at Kanwel on October 16 at a rally against the privatisation of the local hospital. On the day it was obvious to me that my anger and outrage were shared by all those who were there (see pp 8-9).

The community members, nurses and midwives, other health staff and their families who gave up their Sunday to attend were clearly appalled by the Baird government’s decision to privatise our public hospitals without any consideration of the local communities it will affect or without any consultation with hospital or community health staff.

Already this powerful community reaction has had an impact. As The Lamp goes to print the government has already backed down on the privatisation of Goulburn hospital.

The government says it is because “there was not sufficient interest received to give the NSW Government confidence that better outcomes could be achieved”.

‘Better outcomes for who?’ is a question well worth asking.

If ‘better outcomes for patients’ is the criteria for deciding whether to go forward with the privatisations then the government should do a u-turn on the four other regional hospitals it is trying to give to private corporations and, for that matter, on the Northern Beaches hospital as well.

There is mountain of evidence to show that privatisations do not deliver better outcomes for the people who should count – consumers (see pp 14-17).

“Private corporations are answerable, before everything, to their shareholders and as long as it’s about the bottom line for them, then we are at risk of going down the road to an Americanised healthcare system.”

In the health sector these people are known as patients and their care, safety and wellbeing should always take priority over the profits of a private corporation.

THE RISKS OF PRIVATISATION ARE MASSIVE

The NSWNMA has warned for many years now about the creeping Americanisation of our public health system with federal and state government attacks on Medicare, public hospitals and public health funding.

Mike Baird says this is not happening.

He says everything in the privatised hospitals will remain the same for public patients and that the government is merely contracting the services to provide care from the private operator.

This was the same story that was told about Port Macquarie Base Hospital – an epic policy catastrophe which cost taxpayers dearly.

The Premier and his health minister swear that they’ve learnt their lesson from Port Macquarie and it will be done differently this time. But one thing will remain the same - the profit motive of private operators. Private corporations are answerable, before everything, to their shareholders and as long as it’s about the bottom line for them, then we are at risk of going down the road to an Americanised healthcare system.

There is a new risk with these privatisations that did not exist at the time Port Macquarie was sold and it is a risk the government never mentions.

Under the Trans Pacific Partnership foreign corporations can sue governments for millions of dollars in international tribunals if they can argue that a change in policy will ‘harm’ their investment. So any need by a future Government to recover public health from private corporations could be prohibitively very expensive.

In regions like Wyong, where only 17% of the population has private health insurance and unemployment and good jobs are a real issue, keeping the local hospital public is an absolute necessity.

If people choose private health insurance cover and private hospital care we respect their choice.

We do not respect and and will not accept the privatisation of our public health system and will stand with the communities and fight tooth and nail to defend their right to quality, accessible public health care.

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 5

COVER STORY

YOUR LETTERS

The government wants public hospitals to fail

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Re the privatisation of hospitals: How many politicians are willing to shadow a nurse in Emergency or other wards and really see how inadequate current staffing levels are, let alone at the level of private hospitals?

I challenge a desk sitter to imagine if it were them, with no big salary, wishing for a good health system to save their life. The health system is broken, tired and overwhelmed enough. How many people have to have an adverse reaction before they listen?

I had an anaphylactic reaction and was rushed into resus. I owe Nepean Hospital emergency staff my life. I have worked for the private sector and yes, the staff are just as dedicated, but private hospitals work on a system of profit, not loss.

The government wants public hospitals to fail and this is how: 1. Set unrealistic time frames for workloads.

2. Place unskilled staff in areas that have to be supervised burnout of supervisor.

3. Ensure staff are only just able to do their job but are unable to screen for anomalies due to time restraints.

4. Ensure waiting times in ED blow out due to poor staffing levels.

5. Ensure break times are near non-existent. If someone is sick it costs too much to replace or there is no staff to replace.

6. Like many other nurses, I can work overtime hours and not receive time in lieu or be paid. We do this because we care about patients even if the system does not. Plus if something is not completed or is forgotten, it’s someone’s life.

7. Threaten suitably trained staff with loss of jobs as management can get two less qualified staff for the money they pay you.

8. Managers have forgotten how to praise staff. There is an old saying, leaders make their teams great and (some) managers make themselves great.

9. Set up hospital buildings in a fashion that nurses cannot see down the ward at a glance. So many patients say, “No one answered my buzzer”. Who can see the rooms half the time or hear it over the noise?

Bottom line: the government will soon say to the public, ‘look at the public health system: it’s failing, so we can fix it through privatisation and it’s the only way to go’.

As nurses we see the public every day. Lobby the public now to improve the public system. If someone asks, ‘Why didn’t you answer my buzzer?’ politely say, ‘I appreciate your frustration, but we are currently understaffed. Please feel free to go to your local Member of Parliament with any suggestions on how to improve the system.’

Amanda Higgins RN, Springwood

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YOUR LETTERS

L ET T ERS O F T H E M ONT H

Nurses have limits too

Time to act

It has been well reported that this winter has been one of the worst in terms of admissions to both public and private hospitals.

There has been enormous pressure put on nurses during this time. We are asked every day on every shift to do more with less ‘and just cope’. The patients are sicker when they present to hospital and their care is more complex.

Nurses strive every day to deliver the high-quality care that patients deserve. Nurses’ core business is patient care. On every shift the pressure kicks in. There is little time for things that are just basic, to get done.

The pressure to get patients discharged because of the need to meet the unrealistic targets of the Emergency department is ever present.

There is no concession made for the excessive workload and the sometimes unrealistic expectations of patients and their relatives.

There is no consideration for the increased number of dementia patients who are admitted with acute illnesses who are now much sicker when they arrive, because their symptoms aren’t picked up in a timely manner.

There is no consideration for the skill mix on a shift when staffing shortfalls are covered by less experienced or even untrained staff.

Nurses are not immune from being stressed and feel like they are drowning in their workload. When they have struggled to provide care for the whole shift, they are then reminded that there is an endless pile of paperwork to be done.

Nurses, like all human beings, can be pushed into speaking out, sometimes saying what they think out loud, telling it like it is, when the workplace becomes chaotic. Nurses have limits too.

It’s when that limit is reached, and beyond, that they speak out. Usually it is what everyone thinks but is too afraid to say. Those who say it are targeted and worn down until they succumb to the pressure from those at the top and another experienced nurse who dared speak out is lost to the system.

Should nurses not have the right to speak out to protect patients and staff? Should they just accept unrealistic and excessive workloads as their lot in life and they just have to put up with it to ensure that targets are met and boxes are ticked?

Nurses are human too, and we all have limits.

And when did it become gross misconduct to speak out rather than saying it like it is? Because the people who can change it aren’t listening.

Peg Hibbert RN CNS, Normanhurst

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October Lamp reported the Go Gentle campaign launch in South Australia with the support of the ANMF. Also in October I watched the ABC show ‘You can’t ask that’, which put questions to people with terminal illness. I found this the most moving episode, partly as my own mother is currently facing the final days of her life and partly because I was challenged as a nurse about how to respond to the question of what choice people have when faced with the reality of their impending death.

On multiple occasions my mother has asked that I help her die.

She has said she has had enough and she wishes she could not wake up. Strangers I have cared for as a nurse have asked the same thing. At 3am while holding the hand of a man with lung cancer he pleaded to be given something, anything, to release him not just from the pain in his chest, but from the suffering and fear that accompanies the reality of impending death.

How does my lack of help resonate with the professional values of nursing? Where in my response to these pleas has been courage, care, compassion, commitment and in my mother’s case, love?

In the ABC program interviewees were asked, ‘If we had legal euthanasia would you do it, and when?’ All of the people questioned responded positively indicating that given the choice it would be something they would consider.

As I watched I felt ashamed of being a nurse who is impotent in the face of suffering, pain and fear. What use, I thought, were my qualifications, my experience, my professional values, if when a person really needed me to step up and care, show courage, commitment and compassion, I could do nothing?

I am not advocating a cavalier approach to this matter. Any changes should be considered, drawn up with care and respect, and be conscious of the fact that as with any choice, some people will want to take other paths and make other choices. These caveats should apply to those members of the medical and nursing profession who are opposed to siding with a patient’s right to choose another path. This too is a choice to be respected.

However, as a profession we need to put pressure on the government to change the law. We need to support the rights of patients and people to make choices and to have the option of other paths as we approach imminent death.

As a profession it is time to act to support our clients and patients, loved ones and the population in general. If we are truly to be patient-focused then we need to respect their wish to make choices that we sometimes may find difficult to understand, but that we should honour regardless.

Professor David Stanley RN, RM, Armidale

HAVE YOUR SAY Send your letters to: Editorial Enquiries email lamp@nswnma.asn.au fax 9662 1414 mail 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017.

Please include a high-resolution photo along with your name, address, phone and membership number. Letters may be edited for clarity and space. Anonymous letters will not be published.

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THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 7

COVER STORY

Wyong Hospital not for sale!

Over 2000 people rallied in Wyong to tell Mike Baird and his government that they won’t let their local hospital be sold out from under them.

Community anger and outrage was palpable when more than 2000 people – community members, nurses and midwives, other health workers and their families – came together at the Morrie Breen Oval in Kanwal to protest against the privatisation of their local hospital to a private operator.

The NSW government had announced it would privatise Wyong Hospital and four other regional hospitals at Maitland, Goulburn, Bowral and Shellharbour. As The Lamp goes to print, the government has reversed its decision to privatise Goulburn Hospital.

NSWNMA General Secretary Brett Holmes told the Wyong rally there will be obvious losers out of the privatisation of their hospital.

“This is money for jam for the private sector who cough up minimal investment up front, cut expert nursing staff, cut entitlements, force staff to cut corners, then make a hefty profit once in operation.

“The government says it will save $1.5 billion dollars over 20 years down at the Northern Beaches Hospital and Healthscope (the contracted operator) has promised shareholders healthy profits. So who is losing?

“Patients and staff, that’s who.”

NO RESPECT FROM THIS GOVERNMENT

Pam Illingworth, a clinical nurse educator at Wyong Hospital said the community and staff were “being treated with the utmost disrespect” by the government.

“There has been no consultation. We have been told that permanent staff will receive a two-year contract if a position exists for them. Positions such as clinical nurse educators as we 8 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

know them won’t exist and our nurses will suffer due to this.

There is no mandate in private facilities for nurse to patient ratios,” she said.

“We live and work in a low socio-economic area. This area not only has an ageing population but is also rapidly expanding. The majority of the patients or clients admitted to the hospital don’t have private health insurance and we are very concerned that they won’t receive fair and equitable healthcare.

“We work hard for our patients to provide the care we know they deserve but the government is not giving us the same care or respect that we deserve.”

Pam says that over the years Wyong Hospital has benefited greatly from local generosity.

“Our hospital was bequeathed by members of our community. Over the years we have had numerous fund raising efforts from the community to supply much needed equipment. This hospital belongs to the community.”

The Central Coast Local Health District acknowledges this on its website.

“We are fortunate to have a strong sense of community on the Central Coast with many willing to help us provide the best care to patients and their families,” it says.

It then provides advice on how the public can financially contribute to public health through fundraising and donations, by gifting in a will (with suggested wording), by contributing to hospital auxiliaries with your “sewing, knitting or jam-making skills” as well as advice on how to volunteer “to make a difference to patients, their families and staff”.

“THIS HOSPITAL BELONGS TO THE COMMUNITY.” — Pam Illingworth, CNE

The benefits of this community generosity are now to be transferred to private corporations says Brett Holmes.

Central Coast LHD website asking the community for money

A TWO-TIERED HEALTH SYSTEM

Brett says the community also has good reasons to be sceptical about government claims that nothing will change in public health delivery following the hospital sell offs.

“Members waiting to be migrated to the privatised Northern Beaches hospital, are already telling us that there’s a two-tier system emerging within the newly constructed hospital: one side for the public and one side for the private, with different services being offered. An ICU level 5 in the public and an ICU level 6 in the private.

“Imagine you or your loved one in the public ICU but really needing the private ICU and the Private Hospital Corporation telling you can have higher level of care if you just agree to pay more! What a moral and financial dilemma you will face. If this isn’t Americanisation then what is?”

Brett says the government has also been silent on the implications of trade agreements like the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) on hospital privatisations.

“Under the TPP deal, privatisation is a one-way street.

Foreign corporations can sue governments for millions of dollars in international tribunals if they can argue that a change in policy will ‘harm’ their investment.

“It’s a very serious risk we take if we let the privatisation of hospitals go through in NSW. Any contractual obligations the minister thinks she may secure with private hospital multinational corporations will be null and void or prohibitively expensive to return to public hands.”

Rally to keep our hospitals public As The Lamp goes to print more rallies are taking place in Maitland and Goulburn to protest the NSW government decision to privatise local hospitals.

Another rally will take place at Shellharbour/ Port Kembla WHEN: Sunday November 6 TIME: 12 midday WHERE: Benson Basin, Shellharbour

Resources available on our website Join our campaign to keep your hospital public. Go to our campaign pages for petitions, flyers and other resources: http://www.nswnma.asn.au/get-involved/ keep-it-public/ THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 9

COVER STORY

The community is angry

Katrina Bough, President, Northern Central Coast Branch (Wyong Hospital)

“

The rally was excellent. We estimated just over two thousand community members and nurses turned out. We did lots of campaigning prior to the event. We have a 500-member branch at Wyong, and we held extraordinary meetings to spread the word and get the community involved by word of mouth. And we set up a Facebook page, Keep Our Hospitals Public, and that has more than 20,000 members now.

People have been sending messages to local MPs. We know we’re having an impact: the Liberal Party MP for the state seat of Terrigal, Adam Crouch, has had his Facebook page flooded to the point where he is not responding. People are tweeting that Wyong Hospital is not for sale.

The sense from the community is that they are angry.

They have been left completely in the dark and there has been no consultation and they have been treated with disrespect. It is their hospital and the government can’t be bothered to tell them what is going on.

“WE ARE GOING TO KEEP UP THE CAMPAIGN AS LONG AS IT TAKES. UNTIL WE WIN.”—

Katrina Bough

There’s lots of community groups that fundraise and donate equipment to the hospital that are angry too.

The Lions Club do multiple fundraisers every year and donate thousands of dollars to both Wyong and Gosford and they are quite angry their hard work is going to be packaged and given to an investor: they have paid for observation equipment, and some bigticket items.

The President of ASMOF, Tony Sara, spoke at the rally and warned the hospital won’t be a teaching hospital any more. We take hundreds of students a year who are studying nursing, and they haven’t told us what the hospital’s relationship with Newcastle University will be.

The Central Coast is a low socio-economic area: it doesn’t make sense in this area to have privatisation.

It’s all very well to say the public will be able to access it, but how long will they be able to access it? It’s a slippery slope.

We are going to keep up the campaign as long as it takes. Until we win.

”

“THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE IN PEOPLE PRESENTING TO GOSFORD EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT.” — Ken Langbridge

10 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

We will support our colleagues at Wyong Ken Langbridge, Delegate, Gosford Hospital

“

My main concern is that all the planning and development of services for the Central Coast community will be disrupted by a private company running one of our major hospitals. The population of the Central Coast’s northern region is made up of young families, retirees, and people with complex and chronic health needs.

Wyong Hospital is not just a busy hospital, it’s also a hub for community health and support services for the area. Wyong Hospital is a vital part of both the CCLHD and primary health care. Removing parts of those integrated services will have a huge impact on the health of people pre- and post-acute hospital events.

There’s no doubt that Wyong Hospital needs a redevelopment, and that’s what both Labor and Liberal promised at the last state election. I thought that the money had been budgeted and was promised once

Gosford Hospital had finished its redevelopment.

I disagree with the statement that a private company can get the redevelopment completed quicker. The redevelopment at Gosford is running ahead of time, and the bulk of the planning for Wyong has been completed. What we need is a development that suits public patients that live in the northern part of the central coast.

We’ve already put forward a motion at the Gosford branch, stating that we want more information, and that we will be considering our industrial options to support our colleagues at Wyong. We have had a response from CCLHD and are waiting to hear from the Ministry of Health. I’m transferring to the Community Health branch soon, and both branches are planning ongoing activities to support our colleagues at Wyong.

”

Less than 17 per cent of the population has private health insurance

Lisa Thornton, Secretary, Central Coast Mental Health Nurses

“ “I’VE DONE MARKETS, I’VE DONE TRAIN STATIONS GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT.” — Lisa Thornton

I’m a clinical nurse consultant, and I won’t be taken to the private hospital because they won’t have CNCs: a CNC grade is an expensive position.

In Wyong we have young families at one end and a large ageing population at the other end. I’ve been here for 30 years and we’ve had a huge growth in the population. One day driving to work, I counted 27 new subdivisions that have developed in that time. Less than 17% of the population has private health insurance, so if they can’t make money by charging patients, they will make money by cutting staff.

They are saying the private hospital will be governed by Central Coast Health, but how can a private industry be told what to do? They’ve got shareholders that they are responsible to, it just doesn’t make sense.

The community is just dumbfounded: it wasn’t just health workers at the rally. I’ve done markets, I’ve done train stations getting the message out. People are devastated.

We’ve got another branch meeting next week and we are going to start mapping where we want to go in the future. We’ve let Adam Crouch, the local state Liberal member, know he won’t have a job after the next election. Our Federal member, Emma McBride, was a pharmacist at Wyong Hospital for 10 years; she knows how important it is to keep the hospital in community hands and she has been really strong taking the issue to Canberra.

David Harris (Labor) has a tabled petition in state parliament of 10,000 signatures. We will be fighting this.

”

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 11

COVER STORY

Meg is still sticking up for public health During the 2015 state election campaign, Meg Pendrick starred in an NSWNMA television ad that warned voters the Baird government would try to privatise and Americanise our health system. She’s back to continue that fight.

At the time Meg and the NSWNMA were called liars by Mike Baird’s LNP government and by conservative media.

Now the Baird government has come clean with its plans to turn regional hospitals over to private hands, its clear Meg wasn’t the one who was lying.

“The climate of the last few years here has been to offer contract positions for everyone,” says Meg, an enrolled nurse at Gosford Hospital and the secretary of the local NSWNMA branch.

“Now you look at it and go ‘Oh, no wonder they weren’t offering permanent positions’.

“Nurses on the floor [at the targeted hospitals] are worried about their jobs. They know they’ve only got security for two years. The younger ones are worried about where they are going to go for work. The older ones are worried about the benefits they will lose and the impact on their superannuation.

“If the hospitals turn private we will lose a lot of our educators, people with that wealth of experience you need

to train the young ones coming through.”

Meg feels passionately about the impact privatisation will have on patient safety.

“Private hospitals don’t have nearly as many staff. Ratios are something we’ve been fighting for in the public system for the past five years. It’s really important for patient safety and outcomes: research shows that mortality rises with fewer nurses.

“I can’t imagine how a private hospital will provide the services a public hospital does. At Gosford we’re already at breaking capacity. Are patients all going to come flocking down here if they can’t afford private care?”

Meg feels so strongly about the issue she is now starring in a second ad produced by the Association to inform the community about the impact privatisation will have on services.

“I’m very positive that we can get the message out there about what the government is doing and what the implications are for everyone.”

“I’M VERY POSITIVE THAT WE CAN GET THE MESSAGE OUT THERE ABOUT WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING AND WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS ARE FOR EVERYONE.” — Meg Pendrick

12 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

FIVE NSW HOSPITALS TO BE PRIVATISED SYDNEY MORNING HERALD September 15, 2016

Watch and share the NSWNMA ad The Association has produced a TV ad that is alerting the public to the privatisation of regional hospitals on top of the already announced privatisation of the Northern Beaches hospital and urging them to get behind nurses and midwives to stop the Americanisation of our public health system.

You can see the ad at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WFtTq3rdP_4&sns=em

NSW HEADING DOWN THE PATH OF AMERICA

What else is the Baird Government selling off in NSW? Hospitals Land property information Community services Housing Trustee and guardian Sport and recreation Prisons Powerhouse museum TAFE ServiceFirst Court reporters Government records Public works

Keep wyong Hospital ! lic ptourisk Arebyou willing your cAre for Photo courtesy of Goulburn Post

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tion This is another step towards the full-scale isA ericAn Americanisation of our health system. the Am Alth! heprivatisation Take a sTand icagainst bl of Pu now before it’s too late. pitalspublic rhos g.au/keepou Go to #keepitpublic

unionsnsw.or

www.unionsnsw.org.au/ keepourhospitalspublic and #keepitpublic to download the petition and register your support Authorised by M.Morey, Secretary, Unions NSW

Keep sHellHarbour/ port Kembla Hospital public! www.unionsnsw.org.au/ keepourhospitalspublic #keepitpublic

Keep it public The NSWNMA has a website – keepitpublic.org.au – where you can keep up to date with our campaign against the privatisation of our public hospitals, take action and find resources to help you in your actions.

You’ll find dedicated pages for each of the targeted hospitals – Wyong, Maitland, Shellharbour/ Port Kembla, Goulburn and Bowral.

Join the Facebook conversation You’ll also find links to each hospital’s Facebook page. Here you’ll read discussions about the latest developments as well as union actions.

Ask your Facebook friends and family members to like their hospital’s page.

Get involved There is plenty you can do to help: Collect petitions Download leaflets and petitions to take to your local shopping centres, train stations and markets. You’ll also find factsheets with answers to FAQs, as well as flyers for upcoming rallies.

Print out the petition and collect as many signatures as possible. The aim is for at least 10,000 signatures for

each hospital so that it can be tabled in parliament.

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 13

PRIVATISATION

NSW – Everything Must Go! A host of public services are set to disappear as the NSW Liberal government pushes ahead with the sale and contracting out of government operations.

Despite strong public opposition to privatisation, the NSW government, led by former investment banker Mike Baird, is intent on a sweeping program of privatisation and outsourcing.

Baird’s push to sell some government services and give others away is not confined to hospitals and disability care, which The Lamp has covered in depth.

Housing, recreation facilities, museums and court operations are among many services targeted in his sweeping privatisation program, as the following incomplete list reveals.

14 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

HOUSING NSW

Housing NSW provides homes to those most at need and Housing NSW workers support tenants with access to a wide range of disability and other services.

However, the government is getting out of public housing – starting with the transfer of one third of public housing to nongovernment organisations from next year.

Private companies are lining up for a share of the spoils.

Detention centre operator Serco has told the government that community housing providers are too small to be efficient, and is lobbying to bring a controversial business model trialled on asylum seekers in Britain to Sydney.

Serco needs to plug the revenue hole left as the federal government closes down immigration detention centres, once its biggest Australian money-spinner.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Serco appointed James Keene, an official with the Queenscliff Surf Life Saving Club, whose members include Baird and former prime minister Tony Abbott, to build partnerships with state and federal governments. “Mr Keene’s LinkedIn profile states his personal relationships with ministers, including the Australian Prime Minister, are ‘a unique skill set’ the Herald said.

The government is also selling public housing in inner Sydney and sending tenants to the city’s outskirts, where opportunities for work and services are less and causing major disruption to their community networks.

LAND AND PROPERTY INFORMATION

The government is planning to sell part of the LPI office responsible for defining land boundaries and keeping property records. This will be the biggest change in the NSW property system since the records system was introduced 150 years ago.

The land registry makes an annual profit to the government of about $70 million, but its sale price could be more than $700 million.

To fatten it for sale, the government imposed a 25 per cent fee increase on the public. That will provide an annual windfall of up to $27 million to whoever buys the LPI. NSW Law Society president Gary Ulman says any failure by a private operator to maintain the reliability and integrity of the Torrens register

could undermine public confidence in the land titling system.

“This raises important issues around adequate protection of sensitive data, the continued implementation of best practice anti-fraud measures, and the potential loss of expertise of LPI personnel,” he warned.

OUT-OF-HOME CARE

Out-of-Home Care is the range of services provided for children at risk of harm, who need to be removed from their homes and placed in a safe environment.

Since 2012, the government has been transferring funding for Outof-Home Care services from Family and Community Services to nongovernment organisations.

The state public service union says NGOs do not have the capacity or experience to cope with and to handle children with complex needs.

“Billions of taxpayer dollars have been transferred to the non-government sector, but there are insufficient processes to keep track of how the money is spent or assess the quality of service provided,” it reports.

TRUSTEE & GUARDIAN

The NSW Trustee and Guardian drafts wills, looks after deceased estates and manages money for people who are unable to look after their own finances, such as those with dementia, a brain injury, or an intellectual or psychiatric disability.

It operates 19 offices throughout the state, delivering local services to very vulnerable people.

In 2015, the government announced it would eliminate one third of all Trustee and Guardian jobs, closing 14 offices and down-sizing others.

The Public Service Association described this as privatisation by stealth. It has managed to extract a guarantee that some of the threatened regional offices will remain open, and that any changes will be delayed until their impact has been evaluated.

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 15

PRIVATISATION

SPORT & RECREATION

Generations of children have enjoyed the affordable and experienced services offered at Sport and Recreation’s 11 school and holiday camps. The centres are situated on magnificent sites that, while they are in public hands, are there for the enjoyment of all children.

The government is looking at getting private operators to take over the running of the centres, which means they will be run to make a profit with inevitable price increases.

TAFE

The government has slashed funding for TAFE and forced it to compete for funding against inferior private providers, many of which have sprung up almost overnight. This has resulted in significant fee increases and student numbers have fallen by half in just three years.

Some of the people who would have gone to TAFE have ended up with these private training providers, but many haven’t enrolled at all. They have been put off by the huge fees and, especially in regional NSW, there are few alternatives to TAFE. University of Queensland economics Professor John Quiggin says the nationwide shift to for-profit vocational education has been “disastrous”.

16 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

Melbourne Age investigative editor Michael Bachelard described privatisation of vocational education as “a $4 billion get-rich scheme for shonks and shysters”.

Operators of private colleges and their salesmen are signing up the poor, the uneducated, the mentally disabled and those living in Aboriginal communities for “useless online diplomas at a cost of $20,000 each”, he wrote.

“In return for their lifetime investment, these new ‘students’ – most of whom will never study at all – get a $300 laptop.”

TRAINS

In February 2016, Sydney’s Channel 9 News obtained confidential documents indicating the government was considering privatising Sydney Trains as part of its program for “cost recovery of public transport” in NSW. “Liberal MPs believe the sale would only relate to the operation of the trains, with the tracks, trains and stations remaining in government hands,” Channel Nine reported.

Transport Minister Andrew Constance said past “successes” with privatisation would influence the government’s decision.

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union warned the public would pay much higher fares for a worse service.

CORRECTIVE SERVICES

The government has called for tenders for private companies to run the John Moroney Correctional Centre at Windsor.

It is also looking at selling off Long Bay jail in southeast Sydney to property developers. It would be replaced by a private jail housing up to 5,000 inmates in outer Sydney.

The Public Service Association says private operators of prisons can only make a profit by cutting rehabilitation programs and jobs or slashing pay and conditions.

“Either outcome will be disastrous for those communities that rely on their local prisons to keep them safe and to keep their local economies moving,” it says.

POWERHOUSE MUSEUM

The government is moving the Powerhouse Museum – a major tourist and educational institution – from inner Sydney to Parramatta and selling its present site to property developers.

It expects to get between $150 and $200 million.

“No other government anywhere in the world has ever sold off a major state museum less than 30 years after opening in an award-winning, fitfor-purpose building, only to move the museum out of the city to create a smaller facility,” the Public Service Association says.

SERVICE FIRST

ServiceFirst provides human resources, finance, payroll, IT and other support to other government agencies. It used to employ 600 people.

To cut costs, the Government had planned to send 95 per cent of the services provided by ServiceFirst to a private company that would do the work overseas. This threatened a lot of sensitive and personal data, and was very unpopular.

Following union and media pressure the government backed down and reduced the outsourcing figure to 30 per cent of services provided.

PILLAR

Pillar administers superannuation for a number of funds, including the fund for NSW government employees, First State Super. Pillar employs over 700 staff, mostly in Wollongong, where it injects about $290 million into the local economy every year.

In May 2016, the government passed laws to sell Pillar. Baird says any new buyer must keep the company in Wollongong, but that only applies to ‘member services’. This could be as few as 30 workers.

COURT REPORTERS

The government wants to replace its expert in-house court reporting service with a user-pays private service for civil proceedings in the Supreme Court.

This private service would only produce sound recordings, which would then need to be transcribed by typists.

The new service will be more expensive to users, less efficient with lengthy delays, and produce inferiorquality transcripts. It would also have an unfair impact on women, as the vast majority of court reporters who would lose their jobs are female.

Currently, court reporters who retire or leave are not being replaced, and their work is being done by outsourced transcription services.

GOVERNMENT RECORDS

For more than 60 years the Government Records Repository has managed and stored sensitive records created by NSW public sector agencies, such as hospitals, local councils and public schools. It operates a world-class storage facility in the western suburbs of Sydney.

In February 2016, staff learned the government had “commenced initial discussions with the market to sound out potential options for the future”.

Possible privatisation, in other words.

Allowing a private company to keep personal records of citizens presents major threats to individual privacy.

PUBLIC WORKS

Architects, landscape architects, urban designers and heritage specialists employed by NSW Public Works conserve the state’s historic buildings and help maintain and upgrade important community infrastructure.

This year, as part of a ‘repositioning’ of Public Works, the government sold off the last of its construction groups to a private company.

The government thereby lost its construction expertise at a time when it is embarking on a major program of building infrastructure. This makes it vulnerable to big construction companies who can exploit its lack of knowledge when taking on government contracts.

Have your voice heard. Go to:

PEOPLE’S INQUIRY INTO PRIVATISATION http://www. peoplesinquiry.org.au/

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 17

PRIVATISATION

Privatisation ‘severely damaging’ the economy Privatisation has become the Baird government’s dominant policy and the sale of NSW government assets at inflated prices is pushing up costs for industry and the public.

Top economists and business leaders have criticised governments for selling assets at inflated prices – and giving buyers free rein to squeeze more money from the public.

NSW government sales of electricity, and freight assets in particular, are designed to maximise revenue at the expense of consumers, they say. Privatisation is also set to push up the price of water in NSW. Critics include Rod Sims, chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission; businessman John Menadue, formerly a senior public servant and diplomat; and Ross Garnaut, Professor of Economics at the Australian National University.

Privatisation has become “severely damaging” for the economy, said Rod Sims.

Despite having been an advocate of privatisation for the past three decades, Sims told the Melbourne Economic Forum he was “almost at the point of opposing privatisation”.

Too many public assets had been sold as monopolies with inadequate regulation to prevent price hikes, he said.

“It’s been done to boost proceeds, it’s been done to boost asset sales, and I think it’s severely damaging our economy,” he said.

“I think it’s a serious issue facing Australia, I think it’s damaging our cost structure considerably.

“And when you meet people in the street who say ‘I don’t want privatisation because it boosts prices’ and you dismiss them —no, they’re right.

Recent examples suggest they’re right.”

THE CONSUMER ALWAYS PAYS

Port privatisations in NSW have resulted in massive rent increases, which are inevitably passed on to consumers.

18 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

John Menadue criticised the NSW Government’s 2013 sale of Port Botany and Port Kembla to the same buyer “which made competition between the two ports impossible”.

The Baird government in NSW sold a 99-year lease on the Port of Newcastle for $1.75 billion in 2014. Last year the new owners increased port charges by 40-60 per cent, lifting the value of the asset to $2.4 billion.

As Menadue said: “The real risk is governments fattening up an entity for privatisation. This ensures a better financial return to the Treasury and ‘political’ success for the government. but at great long term cost.”

The NSW electricity system is one of the worst examples of price gouging by inadequately regulated monopolies due to privatisation or deregulation.

As Rod Sims commented: “We deregulated poles and wires… in 2006-07, almost automatically in Queensland and NSW over five years, power prices doubled.”

John Menadue agreed that electricity deregulation had resulted in “excessive prices”.

“It is ‘poles and wires’ and not the carbon tax which was responsible for most of our increase in electricity prices. Clearly, we have wasted billions of dollars in poles and wires, and the community has paid for it in higher prices,” Menadue said.

NATURAL MONOPOLIES SHOULD ALWAYS REMAIN PUBLIC

Ross Garnaut also warned the NSW and Queensland governments needed to fix pricing regulation before considering selling off the states’ power network.

But the Baird government has ignored this advice.

“THE NSW ELECTRICITY SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE WORST EXAMPLES OF PRICE GOUGING BY INADEQUATELY REGULATED MONOPOLIES DUE TO PRIVATISATION OR DEREGULATION.”

It sold TransGrid, its high voltage transmission business, for $10.25 billion and Ausgrid (transmission and distribution) for $16.2 billion, and is trying to sell Endeavour Energy (distribution).

Menadue says there is “an overwhelming case” that natural monopolies – rail lines, water and sewerage pipes, poles and wires, and telephone cables – “should remain with a single provider, usually a public provider. It is absurd to think we should have parallel and competing pipes, wires and cables”.

The Sydney water system is the latest example of the state government running privatisations to maximise proceeds to the state budget even if they increase prices for consumers.

The price of water for four million Sydneysiders could be about to rise because of a rule change by the Liberal government that helped it raise more from the $2.3 billion privatisation of the Sydney Desalination Plant (SDP) in 2012.

The SDP has never actually pumped any drinking water but Sydney consumers pay about $200 million a year to SDP to keep the plant on stand-by in case of drought.

When then NSW treasurer Mike Baird sold the desalination plant he promised the transaction would have “no impact on customer water bills”.

The Independent Pricing and Regulation Authority (IPART) is now reviewing the prices that SDP can charge Sydney Water and its customers over the next five years.

The Australian Financial Review reports that IPART is likely to increase the price of water more than it otherwise would as a result of a rule change that Baird imposed on IPART during the 2012 sale process.

Vocational training sector plagued by scandal The federal government has suspended hundreds of millions of dollars in payments to 19 private colleges, as it tries to stamp out widespread rorting of the Vocational Education Loans (VET) scheme.

The scandal-plagued sector “has become a $3 billion drain on the public purse” reported The Australian.

Privatisation of vocational education has produced “a string of revelations about education providers ripping off taxpayers by delivering substandard courses with abysmal completion rates” the paper said.

In addition to the 19 colleges whose payments have been frozen, nine providers are being audited.

The federal education department has already revoked the status of four providers, issued three notices of intention to suspend and one notice of intention to revoke a licence.

The federal education and training minister, Simon Birmingham, has admitted that unscrupulous brokers and providers have signed up unsuspecting Australians to loans they did not realise they were committing to.

He also acknowledged “appallingly low student progression and completion rates”, massive fee hikes and “obscenely high ramp-ups in enrolments” that indicate, “the likelihood is that something questionable is going on”.

“THE PRIVATISED VOCATIONAL EDUCATION SECTOR HAS BECOME A $3 BILLION DRAIN ON THE PUBLIC PURSE” THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 19

Family Planning NSW

Upcoming courses for nurses Clinical Forum/Nurse Education Day 20 CPD hours

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Coffs Harbour: 26 November 2016 • Ashfield: 24 March 2017 • Newcastle: 18 August 2017

Well Women’s Screening Course 40 CPD hours

This blended delivery course helps nurses, midwives and enrolled nurses develop confidence and competence in the provision of cervical screening. Course content includes current and future cervical screening methods, history taking and breast awareness.

Newcastle: 18 January 2017 • Blacktown: 5 April 2017 • Orange: 26 April 2017

Reproductive and Sexual Health Clinical Accreditation Program 120 CPD hours

February & June 2017 A 21-week clinical program that prepares nurses and midwives for extended clinical roles in the specialty of reproductive and sexual health. Integrate theory into practice through simulation, observation and a four day clinical placement. Successful completion gives Recognised Prior Learning for UTS Grad Cert in Advanced Nursing Practice.

Scholarships are available for participants from regional areas.

Now taking enrolments. For more information or to enrol now, visit www.fpnsw.org.au or email education@fpnsw.org.au

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Stay one step ahead with a postgraduate nursing degree from UOW: go.uow.edu.au/postgradnurse 20 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

UOWPG16NUR01

NURSING HISTORY

Coral Levett, NSWNMA President in the uniform of the era.

Remarkable WWI nurse honoured

A Sydney nurse who served in Egypt and on hospital ships during WWI, earning a Red Cross medal for her bravery, has finally been honoured with a memorial at her formerly unmarked grave.

In 1917, Sydney-trained nurse Alice Cashin was the Speaking at the official dedication ceremony, Brett matron on the hospital ship the Gloucester Castle when it was Holmes, General Secretary of the NSW Nurses and torpedoed by a German U-boat as it crossed the English Midwives’ Association, said the memorial “is a symbol for all channel. Cashin ensured all of the 399 injured soldiers and nurses and midwives who have stood by us in times of war, 33 nurses on board were safely on lifeboats before leaving the hardship and joy”. sinking ship herself.

“As the first Australian to be awarded a Royal Red Cross For her bravery she received a bar to the Royal Red (RRC 1st class) plus the bar for bravery during World War Cross medal she had already been awarded. She was the first I, Alice was recognised for all the qualities nurses aspire to – Australian to receive this honour during WWI. courage, professionalism and devotion to duty.”

When NSWNMA official Lynne Ridge read a story in The Former NSW Governor Marie Bashir paid tribute Sydney Morning Herald to Cashin’s place in last year about Cashin Australia’s history: “She and her unmarked grave will be an inspiration, at Woronora Memorial not only to nurses, but Park, she was inspired to doctors and all those to do something to who work in the caring honour her memory. profession.”

At a meeting between Cashin, who trained — Brett Holmes the Association and the at St Vincent’s Hospital, CEO of the Woronora Memorial Gardens, Graham Boyd, a joined Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service plan was hatched to erect a memorial for all nurses and midReserve (QAIMNSR) during the war. After surviving the wives in NSW, inspired by Cashin, next to the place where torpedoing of the Gloucester Castle, she was put in charge of she is buried. the 400-bed military hospital at Whittingham Barracks, The NSWNMA commissioned a life-size bronze Lichfield. On her return to Australia she was crowned the statue of a nurse in a WWI matron’s uniform of the kind Queen of Marrickville. She died on 4 November 1939 from Cashin wore. NSWNMA Council President Coral Levett chronic nephritis. modelled for the work, wearing a uniform created by The ceremony was attended by some 20 of Alice’s costume designer Caitlyn Newbury and a veil and headpiece descendants, including Jennifer Furness.

by Bronwyn Shooks.

“ALICE IS A SYMBOL FOR ALL NURSES AND MIDWIVES WHO HAVE STOOD BY US IN TIMES OF WAR HARDSHIP AND JOY”

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 21

NURSING HISTORY

A heroic nurse This is an edited version of Alice Cashin’s account of the torpedoing of the H.M.H.S. Gloucester Castle on 30 March, 1917 in the English Channel.

I

t was midnight – all the lights with the exception of a few emergency candles were extinguished at once by the terrible explosion – our wireless fell, rendering it useless.

Having the [ports and] watertight doors closed divided the ship into about five sections, which meant that should she meet with hostile craft she would not sink at once unless injured in more than one place. It made our work very heavy as we had always to come up on deck, and descend another stairs to get to each ward.

We were carrying about 400 wounded, an unusually small number, for oftentimes we carried 800 across the Channel. Our number of hopeless cases that night was about 250: we had English, Irish, Scotch and a big number of my own countrymen (Australians) on board.

The poor old ship was struck on the starboard side by a torpedo which made a hole that a train could enter: she listed over on her side, but soon came back into position.

I thought at first we were falling to pieces, and felt my last hour had come. At the time I was lying on my bunk fully dressed – I was stunned for a second, then I sprang, but trembled so that at first I could not strike a match to light the lantern which I had ready for emergency.

It was grand to see the splendid discipline of all the nursing staff. They went calmly to their boats and stood there helping and directing the patients who could walk.

Then as the [life-]boats were full they got away, a sister – sometimes two – in each.

“There was very heavy swell on, a tiny bit of light from a young moon when clouds would permit was very welcome, but it was a sad sight to see those little lifeboats tossing about, full of our dear, brave wounded.”

Everybody worked in silence, just as though we were all dumb. We had been together nearly a year, had confidence in each other, and were all well drilled.

The officers and the R.A.M.C. boys did splendid work with the sisters assisting helpless cases.

As the boats were filled I distributed blankets, and gave one to each walking case as he came up. I also gave out little bags of dressings to each boat with something in them to ease pain if necessary.

I met the chief engineer, and asked if any of his men were killed, and if there were any who needed dressing. He replied: ‘Don’t ask me, Matron, I have tried to get down to them, but the water is up to the ceiling’.

There were only a few walking cases, two medical officers, several R.A.M.C. and myself left on the sinking ship, in addition to the captain, chief engineer, and one wireless operator and some of the crew on the bridge.

The patients kept asking what were we going to do as there were no lifeboats left.

I kept assuring them help would soon come, and that the good old ship would keep afloat owing to the fact of the watertight doors being closed, then all of a sudden it dawned on them that I too had no boat.

22 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

The memorial was made possible thanks to support from Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, First State Super, St Vincent’s Hospital, the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps, UK. the past NSWNMA General Secretary, Patricia Staunton, and Tradies Gymea.

Then came the voice of the captain from the bridge asking if all the sisters were off. A reply was given: ‘Yes, all but Matron’. The dear brave man left his bridge to seek me, and asked me to go forward and get into a lifeboat that was full of wounded. It being so dark we had not seen this boat. So I obeyed orders and went forward, climbed the rail and got in.

As we passed the second deck, there stood two of my boys of the R.A.M.C. Linked arm-in-arm, looking like ghosts, they were awaiting their fate, for the poor old ship was gradually filling and going under. I pleaded with Pte. Atkinson and Pte. Leysham to get in: they hesitated because we looked already too many, but they obeyed my pleading and got in.

With such a heavy channel swell we all became seasick. We had a shell shocked insane soldier amongst the boatload. Just picture yourself for a second, a lifeboat loaded with suffering humanity, a poor stoker scalded from head to foot and a lunatic, and only four able bodied men to help keep her afloat; we were also shipping water and it was so cold that when I tried to help to row, my hands were almost numb.

All the boats from the port side were picked up early by H.M. destroyers, but our boat and another that left the starboard side got out of range of the light of the destroyers and were not picked up until much later. At last a huge transport appeared as if from the clouds coming to our rescue.

After great difficulties we managed to pull around to the starboard side and a life line was thrown. [Then we heard a sailor]: ‘Captain’s orders – any ladies must go up first.’ A slip knot went over my head and fastening it around my waist he gave the signal for me to be hauled up. So up I went like a bundle of hay. As I am a heavy woman of about 13 stone, needless to say it was not pleasant.

Once on deck of the transport I began to forget my miseries, for there were others worse off than myself, and my attention was given to them.

The cot cases, such as those with fractured limbs and amputations, were all brought up by means of a large coal basket, for it would be fatal if they were bumped on the side of the ship.

When we were all safely on board, hot coffee was given to each, and those who could walk were given a dry blanket and taken by the sailors to rest down on the troop deck. The more serious cases were made comfortable in the saloons. The poor engineer or stoker who was so badly scalded I gave at one a quarter grain of morphia under the tongue to relieve his agony and dressed him as well as I could with olive oil, the only thing I could obtain.

H.M. destroyers rescued 350 from the drifting boats. It was a happy moment when we all met at Southampton. The commanding officer of the Lanfrance and the matron marched us off for refreshments to their boat which was in dock, and there we remained until we came to London on leave.

The Alice Cashin Memorial

Colonel Bronwyn Wheeler, head of the Royal Australian Army Nursing Corp with Coral Levett

Marie Bashir and Coral Levett

Coral Levett with Jennifer Furness, a descendent of Alice Cashin.

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 23

US ELECTION

Health is a key US election issue The US election campaign has often resembled a bizarre reality TV show, but health remains an important political issue for many Americans.

Health is one of the top four issues for voters in the “I’m in favour of the public option so that people can buy US election according to the respected Pew Research Centre. into Medicare at a certain age,” she told Forbes magazine.

Seventy four per cent of voters said healthcare was ‘very Trump has been susceptible to vague pronouncements on important’ to their vote on 8 November. health such as: “I am going to take care of everybody. I don’t Among voters, Hilary Clinton has a clear advantage over care if it costs me votes or not. Everybody’s going to be taken Donald Trump as the “candidate who would do a better job care of much better than they’re taken care of now.” of dealing with healthcare”.

Health commentator Dr Lesley Russell says Trump “has Fifty four per cent said she would paid scant attention to policy details do a better job compared to Trump’s and it shows on his website”.

37 per cent.

“The section on healthcare reform Hillary Clinton has a long history is primarily a rant about what’s wrong of activism on healthcare reform and with the Affordable Care Act. The has promised to defend and extend reality is – who knows what his pos— Dr Lesley Russell President Obama’s Affordable Care Act ition is? ” (ACA – also commonly known as Dr Russell says although Obamacare).

Republican opposition to the ACA is strident, their position She has also adopted a policy pushed by Bernie Sanders is solely focused on repeal. (who was her rival for the Democratic nomination) that “Republicans in the House have voted to delay, defund would allow people to ‘buy into Medicare’. or repeal the law some 60 times. Nothing substantive has Once Americans are 65, the federal government pays for ever emerged to replace the ACA. The ACA is in dire need most of their Medicare coverage although they do contribute of legislative tweaking to make it work better. This has out-of-pocket expenses and a monthly premium. not happened since it was enacted, because of Republican Clinton favours younger Americans “55 or 50 up” to buy intransigence.” into Medicare coverage voluntarily.

“TRUMP HAS PAID SCANT ATTENTION TO POLICY DETAILS.”

24 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

NEWS IN BRIEF

Australia

A third of nurses and midwives ready to leave A national survey of 3000 nurses and midwives found that 32 per cent were “actively considering leaving the profession”.

The Monash University study – conducted every three years – found that “a disturbing national picture is emerging of escalating levels of overwork and burnout” among nurses and midwives. All indicators of work intensification have gone up. The study found that: • 71 per cent of respondents felt they often had more work than they could do well (up from 64 per cent in 2013) • 67 per cent reported their jobs required them to work very fast, at least several times a day (up from 61 per cent in 2013) • 67 per cent had to work “very hard” several times a day (up from 63 per cent in 2013).

Key factors in the increased workload were inadequate staffing levels, excessive administrative tasks and inappropriate skill mix.

The lead researchers Peter Holland and Tse Leng Tham told The Conversation (September) that the results highlight the challenge for health management to retain staff.

“Some 32 per cent of respondents said they were ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ to leave the nursing/midwifery profession – a significant concern, given the average age of survey respondents was 47,” they said.

“Whereas a typical organisation might expect a turnover of up to four per cent (and estimates in nursing have previously suggested the turnover rate is three to six per cent), our study found 25 per cent were very likely to leave the profession in the next 12 months.”

The government has already estimated a workforce shortfall of 85,000 by 2025 and 123,000 by 2030.

“KEY FACTORS IN THE INCREASED WORKLOAD WERE INADEQUATE STAFFING LEVELS, EXCESSIVE ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS AND INAPPROPRIATE SKILL MIX.” Australia

Hidden cost of public service cuts Top consultancy firms have cashed in on lucrative federal government contracts since the Coalition promised to eliminate public sector waste and cut up to 15,000 jobs.

“MANY OF THE BIG CONSULTANCY COMPANIES ALSO DONATED MORE THAN $150,000 TO MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES DURING THIS PERIOD.”

A Fairfax Media analysis reveals spending on consultants increased by 19 per cent during former prime minister Tony Abbott’s first two years in office.

The big four consultancy firms – Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG and Deloitte – collectively secured $194 million of work between the Coalition’s 2013 election win to December 2015.

Many of the big consultancy companies also donated more than $150,000 to major political parties during this period.

Community and Public Sector Union national secretary Nadine Flood said the use of consultants was wasteful, serious and a growing problem.

“The Turnbull government talks about eliminating waste yet at the same time is throwing away literally billions of dollars to their multinational consultancy firm mates,” she said.

During Labor’s time in office – when the size of the federal bureaucracy peaked – spending on consultants dropped every year, falling 32 per cent over five years.

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 25

NEWS IN BRIEF

Australia

We’re unprepared for climate change, say health experts There is near-universal agreement among health experts about a need for a national strategy on climate, health and wellbeing according to a new survey.

The survey, conducted by the Climate and Health Alliance, asked more than 130 peak health bodies, unions and health professionals – including doctors, nurses, midwives, public health practitioners and psychologists – to evaluate the sector’s preparedness for the impacts of climate change.

The survey found widespread concerns among health experts: • 52 per cent of health professionals consider the government’s current climate policy (the Direct Action Plan) to be “not at all effective”.

• 78 per cent think Australia’s current climate policies are inconsistent with our international obligations.

• Nearly 90 per cent of respondents were well informed about climate change and health and aware that people’s health could benefit from climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.

• There was almost universal agreement (98 per cent) regarding the need for Australia to develop a national strategy on climate, health and well-being.

“Health care professionals are deeply concerned that neither the Coalition nor Labor appear to have any idea of the threat posed by climate change to our physical and mental health,” said Dr Liz Hanna, President of the Climate and Health Alliance.

Public Health Association of Australia’s Dr Peter Tait, a former GP of the Year, said: “That ignorance is putting communities unnecessarily at risk from illness, accidents and stressors that could be managed with a national health strategy.

“It is time for a national strategy to build our resilience and response capacity as climate change increasingly impacts vulnerable communities over the next decade.”

A report on the survey results can be found at http://caha.org.au/.

“IT IS TIME FOR A NATIONAL STRATEGY TO BUILD OUR RESILIENCE AND RESPONSE CAPACITY AS CLIMATE CHANGE INCREASINGLY IMPACTS VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES OVER THE NEXT DECADE.”

26 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

Australia

More look to ditch health insurance Almost 70 per cent of Australians with private health insurance have considered ditching or downgrading their cover in the last year in the face of relentless price rises and diminishing value for money, polling has found.

Close to 80 per cent of people believe health insurance companies put profits before patients and more than 90 per cent are concerned they’re trying to “Americanise” the health system to boost their bottom line.

Fairfax Media says the ReachTEL polling shows just how displeased and distrustful Australians have become of their health insurance providers.

“The average cost of premiums has gone up by about 35 per cent since 2010, well outpacing inflation. This is believed to be a key reason why people are starting to abandon private cover,” the paper says.

“The percentage of people with private health insurance dropped for the first time in 15 years in the June quarter of this year – from 47.4 per cent to 47 per cent, according to official government figures.

“If the trend continues it will put increasing pressure on the public health system and the federal budget bottom line.”

“MORE THAN 90 PER CENT OF RESPONDENTS ARE CONCERNED THAT HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE TRYING TO ‘AMERICANISE’ THE HEALTH SYSTEM TO BOOST THEIR BOTTOM LINE.”

NEWS IN BRIEF

Great Britain

NHS on its knees The body that represents hospitals across England has warned that the NHS is on the brink of collapse because of its escalating cash crisis.

NHS Providers, which speaks for hospital trust chairs and chief executives, warned that years of underfunding have left the NHS facing “impossible” demands and without urgent extra investment it will have to cut staff, bring in charges or ration treatment reports The Guardian.

“The logical areas to examine would be more draconian rationing of access to care, formally relaxing performance targets, shutting services, extending and increasing charges, cutting the priorities the NHS is trying to deliver or, more explicitly, controlling the size of the NHS workforce,” said Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers.

His dramatic warning came days after the NHS posted its worst set of performance figures for services such as Accident and Emergency, planned operations and ambulance response times.

“IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVIDE THE RIGHT QUALITY OF SERVICE AND MEET PERFORMANCE TARGETS ON THE FUNDING AVAILABLE. SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE.” — Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers.

“NHS performance rarely goes off the edge of a cliff. Instead we get a long, slow decline that is only fully visible in retrospect.

It’s therefore difficult to isolate a single point in that downward trajectory to sound a warning bell. But NHS trust chairs and chief executives are now ringing that bell. They are saying it is impossible to provide the right quality of service and meet performance targets on the funding available. Something has to give,” said Hopson.

Australia

Tax cuts go to the wealthiest says ACTU In a submission to the Australian senate, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) finds that there is no evidence that the Turnbull government’s proposed corporate tax cuts will generate job growth or improve the living standards of Australians to the level the government, or business groups are claiming.

Recent modelling from the Department of Treasury shows that cutting the company tax rate by one percentage point would serve mainly to benefit company profits, with an increase of only 0.1 per cent to GDP and less than one per cent in job growth over the next two decades.

The proposed corporate tax cuts will cost at least $50 billion (with some estimating the cost blowing out to $19.7 billion per annum in 2026-27). This is money that could be used to invest in health, education, training, innovation, research, transport, communication and infrastructure, which are sorely under-funded under this government says the ACTU. Seventy-five per cent of the benefits of the proposed personal income tax cuts (estimated to cost around $9.6 billion) go to the top 10 per cent of income earners. Almost half (47 per cent) of the benefits go to the top one per cent of income earners.

The tax proposals will do nothing to help ordinary people and will only benefit those for whom extra assistance will be barely noticeable.

The ACTU calls on the government to abandon these tax cuts and put the more than $50 billion to better use investing in the future prosperity of our economy and our society.

To read the full submission go to: http://www.actu.org.au/our-work/submissions/actu-submissionto-the-senate-standing-committee-on-economics

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 27

COVER STORY

NURSES & MIDWIVES: There are many benefits of being a financial member of the NSWNMA — did you know that

Authorised by B.Holmes, General Secretary, NSWNMA

YOUR MEMBERSHIP FEES COVER YOU FOR TRAVEL TO AND FROM WORK? If you are involved in an accident while travelling to or from work, NSWNMA’s Journey Accident Insurance provides you with peace of mind.

In recent years this insurance has been a financial safety net for many members who have met unfortunate circumstances travelling to or from work.

As a financial member of the NSWNMA you are automatically covered by this policy. It’s important to remember however, that it can only be accessed if you are a financial member at the time of the accident.

So make sure your membership remains financial at all times by paying your fees by Direct Debit or Credit.

Watch Alexis talk about Journey Accident Insurance

JOURNEY ACCIDENT INSURANCE

Your journey injury safety net

UNSURE IF YOU ARE FINANCIAL? IT’S EASY! Ring and check today on 8595 1234 (metro) or 1300 367 962 (rural).

Change your payment information online at

28 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

www.nswnma.asn.au

NEWS IN BRIEF

Australia

Border Force Act gag loosened A climb down by the federal government means nurses, doctors and other health professionals will be able to voice their concerns about the Nauru and Manus Island detention centres.

The government U-turn comes from an amendment to the Border Force Act, which removes “health professionals” from the definition of “immigration and border protection workers”.

Other workers in the immigration centres including teachers, lawyers, security staff and social workers will still be subject to the gag and will still face jail terms of up to two years for any “unauthorised disclosure”.

The government’s backdown came on the eve of a high court challenge by Doctors for Refugees that would have contested the secrecy provisions of the Border Force Act. Dr Barri Phatarfod, president of Doctors for Refugees told The Guardian that the decision was a “huge win” and “recognition that our code of ethics is paramount”.

Dr Peter Young, one of the first whistleblowers on the abusive conditions in the detention centres said clinicians “had an ethical duty to speak out”.

“It’s a big backdown from the government, and they’ve made it because they didn’t want to go to court, they knew they were going to lose, and they didn’t want their planning and policies discoverable in an open court.

“Now, for doctors and nurses and other health professionals, it’s even more incumbent on them, those people who have witnessed these things, to speak out about what is occurring in immigration detention.”

United States

How to fund health and education A small shift of funds from wasteful military spending, or small measures to make the super-rich pay their way – could quickly and dramatically improve poor children’s life chances, says world-renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs.

Sachs, the Director of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network says such measures would also make the world “vastly fairer, safer, and more productive”.

“Children in poor countries die from causes – such as unsafe childbirth, vaccine-preventable diseases, infections such as malaria for which low-cost treatments exist, and nutritional deficiencies – that have been almost totally eliminated in the rich countries. In a moral world, we would devote our utmost effort to end such deaths,” he wrote on the Project Syndicate website.

Deaths of young children have fallen to slightly under half the 12.7 million recorded in 1990, thanks to additional global funding for disease control.

“An extra $50 billion or so per year could help ensure that children everywhere have access to basic health care and schooling.

“OUR WORLD IS IMMENSELY WEALTHY AND COULD EASILY FINANCE A HEALTHY START IN LIFE FOR EVERY CHILD ON THE PLANET THROUGH GLOBAL FUNDS FOR HEALTH AND EDUCATION.”

“IT’S EVEN MORE INCUMBENT (ON NURSES AND DOCTORS) TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT WHAT IS OCCURRING IN IMMIGRATION DETENTION.”

“An extra $50 billion per year is not hard to find. The US currently spends around five per of GDP, or roughly $900 billion per year, on military-related spending. It could and should transfer at least $90 billion of that to development aid.

“A second option would tax the global rich, who often hide their money in tax havens in the Caribbean and elsewhere.

“Both solutions would be feasible and relatively straightforward to implement.

“Our world is immensely wealthy and could easily finance a healthy start in life for every child on the planet through global funds for health and education.”

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 29

Do you have a story to tell?

INTERNATIONAL MIDWIVES’ DAY & INTERNATIONAL NURSES’ DAY

2017 Short Story & Poetry Competition Nurses and midwives have always talked about the amazing, uplifting and special moments they experience in their work. These stories inspire the nurses and midwives who hear them, as well as some who, after hearing such poignant stories, decide to take up the profession.

So without breaching confidentiality, let’s celebrate International Midwives’ and International Nurses’ Days 2017 by sharing our stories in prose or poetry.

First State Super is once again proud to help celebrate this short story and poetry competition by sponsoring the FIRST PRIZE OF $2000, and the 2 RUNNER-UP PRIZES OF $500. These prizes will be awarded to members or associate members of the NSWNMA who can tell an entertaining and inspiring story that promotes the wonderful work of nurses and midwives. As well, readers will have an opportunity to select the winner of the READERS CHOICE AWARD OF $500 sponsored by the NSWNMA.

. Conditions of Entry Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z

Entrant must be a financial or associate member of the NSWNMA Entry must be original and the work of the entrant Entry must not have been published previously Stories/poems to be no longer than 2500 words Confidentiality must not be breached, patients/clients names must not be used. And the facility in which your story takes place must not be identifiable Please keep a copy of your story as your entry/entries will not be returned The NSWNMA reserves the right to retain and publish copies of the entries, in The Lamp and on NSWNMA online (including nurseuncut.com.au) Copyright remains with the author Judges’ decision will be final Failure to meet the conditions above will render entries ineligible.

. How to enter Z There is no limit on the number of entries, but each entry must have its own entry form Z Complete the online entry form Z Number and title each page of your story or poem Z Do not include your name and address anywhere on your story/ poem copies Z Keep within the word limit Z 3 copies of the story to be included for the judges and to be double spaced on one side only with a 2cm margin.

First prize Readers Choice Award

Two runner-up prizes of

Entries close 5 pm Friday 17 March 2017 Winners will be announced on 2 May 2017 Readers Choice winner will be notified on 9 June 2017 30 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

www.nswnma.asn.au

SUPERANNUATION

Superannuation changes may help close the gender gap The federal government has confirmed in its new super tax measures that it will reverse its previous decision to abolish the Low Income Super Contribution.

Now called LISTO (Low Income Super Tax Offset), the new measure will prioritise tax breaks for Australia’s 3 million lowest income earners, 2 million of whom are women.

LISTO is a government payment of up to $500 per year into the super of those earning under $37,000. It will cover half of all working women.

Part-time work patterns, lower paid positions, and career breaks to care for family members all mean the average Australian woman retires with a superannuation nest egg a little over half the size of the average Australian man.

Robbie Campo, Deputy Chief Executive of Industry Super Australia, says the changes to the super system currently before parliament will go some way to making things fairer for Australian women.

“The current tax concessions on super are skewed to high income earners, most of whom are men,” she said.

“Currently almost two million working women are given little or no tax concessions on their super contributions. The most important change the government is making to super tax measures is to trim the very generous benefits given to high income earners (mainly men), and reversing their previous decision to abolish the LISC (low income super contribution).

The LISTO will add thousands of dollars to the average woman’s retirement balance, Campo says. She adds that some co-contribution can still be paid for people earning

up to $51,021 if they make after-tax contributions.

Other key changes that will help boost women’s retirement income include: • Increasing superannuation from 9.5 per cent to 12 per cent phased in gradually by 0.5 per cent a year over 2021 to 2025. The SC increase is the single change that will have the most impact in terms of improving the average level of retirement savings of women. This was a Labor government initiative that has been delayed by the current federal government until 2021.

• Low-income threshold raised for spousal contribution. Spousal contributions allow higher earning spouses to receive a tax rebate of 18 per cent for making a contribution into the super of a lower earning spouse. This measure has been expanded so that the lower earning spouse can earn up to $40,000, up from $13,800. The maximum contribution that can be made to attract the spousal rebate is $3000 for a rebate of $540.

• A five year “catch up” plan for concessional annual contributions may help women with fluctuating incomes and those nearing retirement. People will be able to make “catch up” concessional (pre-tax) contributions if in the previous five years they have not used up all the concessional caps on super. The government plans to defer this measure for one year, to 1 July 2018.

Industry super funds easily outperform bank funds Independent data measuring the performance of Australia’s superannuation funds shows not-for-profit industry super funds continue to outperform “for profit” bank-owned funds in the short, medium and long term.

The latest SuperRatings’ monthly data shows, on average, industry super funds have recorded a superior performance of 2.2 per cent over 10 years.

Rolling 1 Year %

Rolling 3 Year %

Rolling 5 Year %

Rolling 7 Year %

Rolling 10 Year %

Industry Super Funds

7.16

8.56

9.65

8.3

5.82

Bank-Owned Super Funds

4.49

6.34

7.77

6.30

3.61

Outperformance

2.67

2.22

1.88

2.00

2.21

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 31

EDUCATION@NSWNMA

what’s ON LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL ISSUES FOR NURSES AND MIDWIVES – ½ Day

Learn about potential liability, disciplinary tribunals, NMC and HCCC complaints, Coroners Court and more. n Thursday 24 November, Gymea Members $40 | Non-members $85

POLICY AND GUIDELINE WRITING FOR NURSES AND MIDWIVES – 1 Day

This interactive workshop is designed to give nurses and midwives the beginning skills to develop a document, either a policy or clinical guideline for their workplace. n Thursday 24 November, Waterloo Members $85 | Non-members $170

POST GRADUATE NURSING COURSES

Register online

WWW.NSWNMA.ASN.AU/EDUCATION/ EDUCATION-CALENDAR For enquiries contact NSWNMA Metro: 8595 1234 • Rural: 1300 367 962 Attendance at Education@NSWNMA sessions may count towards Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours.

You will be provided with a certificate of completion at the end of each course.

CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (CPD)

Under the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme, all nurses and midwives must meet the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia’s CPD requirements in order to maintain their registration.

The NSWNMA has a free CPD resource for nurses and midwives 3 2 | from T H E Lwww.nswnma.asn.au/education/cpd AMP NOVEMBER 2016 available

(non-specialisation)

• Graduate Diploma of Nursing • Graduate Diploma of Nursing (Specialisation - Paediatric Nursing)

Benefits: • Advance your career with a Postgraduate qualification • On-campus/Online delivery options • Easy payment plans, alumni scholarships available • Study while you work with online delivery • Career assistance available

APPROPRIATE WORKPLACE BEHAVIOUR FOR NURSES AND MIDWIVES – 1 Day

For staff and managers to understand anti-discrimination law, help identify behaviours which constitute unlawful harassment and bullying, identify the cost of bullying, and what to do if subjected to unlawful harassment and bullying.

Helps managers and supervisors identify, prevent and resolve bullying and harassment and understand why it occurs. n Friday 2 December, Gymea Members $85 | Non-members $170

• Graduate Certificate in Nursing

Free CPD courses visit www.nurseshub.com.au

Institute of Health and Management Pty. Ltd. CRICOS Provider: 03407G I ABN: 19 155 760 437 I ACN:155 760 437

HEALTH CAREERS

Head Office and Online Learning Centre

Campus

Level 1, 76 - 80 Turnham Avenue, Rosanna, Victoria 3084, Australia

Level 7, 33 Argyle Street, Parramatta, NSW, 2150

Institute of Health and Management Postgraduate Nursing Institute

Web: www.ihm.edu.au I Email: enquiry@ihm.edu.au Toll Free: 1800 763 757

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation NSW Branch

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation New South Wales Branch Audited Financial Statements for the Year Ended 30 June 2016 are available on the Members Only Page at online.nswnma.asn.au Members without internet access may obtain a hard copy of the statements by applying in writing to: Brett Holmes Branch Secretary Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation NSW Branch 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017

ANMF Financial Report notice.indd 1

17/10/2016 8:37 AM

ASK JUDITH WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR RIGHTS AND ENTITLEMENTS AT WORK, NSWNMA ASSISTANT GENERAL SECRETARY JUDITH KIEJDA HAS THE ANSWERS. Speaking out over privatisation I work as an enrolled nurse in one of the public hospitals slated for privatisation.

Can I make public comments about this government decision?

Under PD2015_049 (NSW Health Code of Conduct) you are entitled to make public comment or participate in political or industrial activities but you must not indicate or imply that the views being expressed are those of the NSW Health Service. They are your personal views or views expressed as, for example, an elected official of the Association Branch. However, when undertaking such activities care should be taken that it does not disrupt the “safe and supportive environment” of hospital premises for patients and their families.

Please contact your local Branch or the Association to find out how you may be able to participate and contribute in the anti-privatisation campaign.

Access to continuing education allowance I am a registered nurse in a public hospital and have received some conflicting advice in the workplace regarding the continuing education allowance. What are the broad criteria of eligibility for the allowance?

Clause 13 ~ Continuing Education Allowance ~ of the Public Health System Nurses’ and Midwives’ (State) Award, sets out the framework for determining access to the allowance. In short, you must hold a qualification in a clinical field (in addition to the qualifications leading to your registration), and this additional qualification is accepted by the employer to be directly relevant to the competency and skills used in your duties.

Despite holding more than one additional (and relevant) qualification, you only receive one allowance. If you are entitled to the allowance, you must also provide evidence to the employer within three months of obtaining the qualification or within three months of commencing work (unless exceptional circumstances prevail).

You should check out Clause 13 and Schedule 2 of the Award (plus Table 2 that sets out the allowances that may be payable) in some detail to determine your eligibility.

BREAKING NEWS New grievance policy The Ministry of Health recently concluded consultation with health unions on a new policy entitled “Resolving Workplace Grievances” (PD2016_046), which now replaces the pre-existing policy. While the Ministry did not adopt all of our suggestions, it is an improved document.

The framework of the policy is designed to establish an effective system to resolve workplace grievances in a prompt, fair and confidential manner.

The main changes from the pre-existing policy are: (i) the policy and materials replace any LHD policies so there is a single, standardised guide to managing workplace grievances across public health in NSW; and (ii) grievances are separated into two tiers with emphasis on selfresolution as the objective of the first tier and assisted-resolution as the objective of the second tier.

Bye bye Industrial Court The Baird NSW Government had previously introduced legislation to strip out the functions of the current stand-alone Industrial Court and have these placed in, and exercised by the Supreme Court of NSW. The Association, along with all other unions and Unions NSW, argued against such a change on a number of grounds, including that it would make access to industrial justice more difficult and it would erode the importance and specialist nature of industrial and employment law.

No set of laws touch so many families and individuals in the community as those that fix rates of pay, conditions of employment, and rights at work.

Despite the NSW Opposition and a number of cross-bench members in the Legislative Council attempting to prevent or modify the change, the legislation has now passed the NSW Parliament and received royal assent. The Association will now monitor the transitional arrangements that will be required into the future. One by-product of the debate in the parliament was that the NSW Government has committed to maintaining the current number of Commission members (five) following the departure of the current President of the IRC – who has been appointed to the Supreme Court as part of the above changes.

New approach to managing performance I am a nurse manager working in a metropolitan LHD. I was recently advised that an amended approach is to be adopted when managing employee performance.

Is that correct?

PD2016_040 (Managing for Performance) was recently released by the Ministry of Health without fanfare, and replaces PD2013_034. The new PD has a section dealing with unsatisfactory performance, which is to be undertaken within the framework established by the Government Sector Employment Rules and the Government Sector Employment Act 2013.

Importantly, employee performance must occur within well-developed procedures, which includes: (i) a requirement to develop and utilise performance management systems; (ii) t hat an employee has a right to have identified to them if their performance is unsatisfactory and the specific basis for it being so; (iii) t he employee must be notified prior to the employer taking any action; (iv) t he employee is given a reasonable opportunity to respond to any stated intention; and (v) the employer must take into account any such response from the employee.

Conversion to permanent at UnitingCare I work as a casual assistant in nursing in a nursing home operated by UnitingCare.

While I am happy there and get plenty of shifts, can I become permanent to lock my hours in?

Clause 16 of the UnitingCare Aged Care Residential & Community Services Agreement (NSW) 2014-2017 sets out that as a casual employee, if you have been rostered on a regular and systematic basis over a period of 26 weeks, you have the right to request conversion to permanent employment.

UnitingCare shall not unreasonably withhold agreement to such a request.

Note that casual conversion will not apply if you have been covering absences of permanent staff that are expected to return to work.

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 33

PEERLESS ACCURACY IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND Acquires up to 256 slices of the bladder

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Recognises 3D contours using algorithms from the science of computer vision

Uscan outperforms traditional bladder scanners on accuracy. Period.

Uscan, a breakthrough in bladder care, belongs in a class all its own. It acquires up to 256 slices of the bladder and applies algorithms from the science of computer vision to actively recognise the 3D contours of the bladder. The result is an unprecedented accuracy of ±10% or ±10 mL (whichever is larger), far superior to current industry standard of ±15% or ±15 mL.*

D06008 Rev. 1.0 34 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

experience Uscan at WWW.SIGNOSTICS.COM.AU call us toll free at 08 7424 0600

A BLOG FOR AUSTRALIAN NURSES AND MIDWIVES www.nurseuncut.com.au

WHAT’S HOT THIS MONTH

Do you have a story to tell? An opinion to share?

Nurse uncut is written by everyday nurses and midwives.

We welcome your ideas at nurseuncut@nswnma.asn.au

An Australian nurse responds to the refugee crisis in Greece Emergency nurse and paramedic Helen Zahos is a powerful example of one person making a difference. www.nurseuncut.com.au/oneaustralian-nurses-stirring-responseto-the-refugee-crisis

Julia’s insights into the Americanisation of our health system After 10 years living in the US with her family, Julia’s very worried about the direction our health system is being pushed www.nurseuncut.com.au/my-rantagainst-the-americanisation-of-ourhealth-system

Why I love being an agency ICU nurse

There’s evidence that meat-eating can contribute to bad health – so, like smoking, should it be banned from hospital meals? www.nurseuncut.com.au/shouldmeat-be-banned-from-hospital-meals

Kylie on nurses to support a voluntary euthanasia bill Kylie Monaghan put her face to the new voluntary euthanasia bill in South Australia – as she was dying. www.nurseuncut. com.au/be-the-billcalling-on-nurses-tosupport-a-voluntaryeuthanasia-bil

Katherine, a young nurse from England, reflects on her journey to ICU agency nursing in Sydney. www.nurseuncut. com.au/why-i-lovebeing-an-agencyicu-nurse

1956: Relocating from Penrith hospital to Nepean Sixty years later, Marie recalls that it was like moving from a tent to a palace. www.nurseuncut. com.au/relocating-ahospital-from-penrithto-nepean-in1956

Should meat be banned from hospital meals?

Oz nurses and midwives: shortcuts

We’re on

Nurses and midwives are constantly in the media, whether for sublime, silly or serious reasons. Catch the latest stories. http://www.nurseuncut.com.au/ oz-nurses-midwives-shortcuts/

Instagram!

Share your photos by tagging @ nswnma and don’t forget to use the hashtag #nswnma!

New on SupportNurses YouTube channel STOP THE SELL-OFF IN NSW The list of public services to be sold keeps growing.

TIERNAN BRADY ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY The Irish activist charms NSWNMA delegates.

http://bit.ly/ stopsell- off

http://bit.ly/ tierbrady

Connect with us on Facebook

Nurse Uncut > www.facebook.com/NurseUncutAustralia New South Wales Nurses and Midwives’ Association > www.facebook.com/nswnma Ratios put patient safety first > www.facebook.com/safepatientcare Aged Care Nurses > www.facebook.com/agedcarenurses

Follow us on Twitter @nswnma @nurseuncut

Listen to our podcast COMPLAINTS When a complaint is made against a nurse. http://bit.ly/ ENcomplaint

Look for your local branch on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/ nswnma

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 35

VALE

Ruth Wiggins Dear Kemp staff, Yesterday one of the best nurses that I have worked with over my career in my recruitment business passed away.

Ruth Wiggins, I have had the pleasure of working with you over the last 30 years. First through my ASEPS business where you were impressive in building the success of that business. Our vision was to build our business with the best quality staff. You were multi-skilled, you worked doubles and you were always requested back. You could scrub for most lists and the surgeons loved you. Whenever we needed someone for an emergency list it was always “Have you asked Ruth?”

You then went on to join me in my next business, Kemp Recruitment. and successfully helped in the

1957 – 2016

progress of building this business.

Ruth, over 30 years I have met and worked with so many nurses and I don’t think any of them would have worked in 65 different hospitals and been requested back to each and every one of them.

You pioneered twilight shifts that are now a big part of this business.

You have mentored so many nurses and given so much to so many staff.

Everyone loved working with you.

It is with great pleasure that Michael and I plus all the Kemp team present you with staff member of the Year for 2016.

Ruth, your love for shoes will live on with your foot-print that you have embedded in so many of our lives.

Robert Ryan Kemp Recruitment

POSITION VACANT

INFORMATION OFFICER The NSWNMA in association with the ANMF NSW Branch is inviting applications for the permanent full time position of Information Officer to join our Member Industrial Services team.

IN THIS ROLE YOU WILL: n

Applications close 20 November 2016.

For a full Position Description and details on how to apply, please visit www.nswnma.asn.au/jobs 3 6 Recruitment | T H E L Aadvert MP N O V E M B2 E R 2 0 1 6 half.indd

n n n

provide a quality industrial and professional information service to the membership of the Association promote and encourage recruitment of membership to the Association maintain and retain membership of the Association provide a support service to Officers of the Association.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS ROLE YOU REQUIRE: n n n n n n

Demonstrated commitment to the union movement Demonstrated ability to articulate and interpret complex agreements and documents Demonstrated competence in appropriate computer skills Demonstrated ability to produce written documents and letters Ability to work within a complex team environment Demonstrated polite and articulate telephone manner.

DESIRABLE: n n

Relevant tertiary qualifications in Industrial Relations, Social Science or Human Resources Management Ability to speak a second language.

24/10/2016 10:40 AM

SOCIAL MEDIA | facebook

WHAT NURSES & MIDWIVES

SAID & LIKED on Facebook www.facebook.com/nswnma What nurses and midwives think of Mike Baird’s privatisation plan

The Baird Government’s sudden announcement that they were putting five public hospitals out to tender unleashed a storm of comment. Under the plan, five major regional hospitals will be privatised: Maitland, Wyong, Goulburn, Shellharbour and Bowral.

PHOTO GALLERY

Climate change training group – They came for a workshop on skills for engaging on climate change.

Seriously how can a private enterprise that is ‘for profit’ run a hospital for the NSW government more cheaply than it being publicly run. Are people that gullible?!

Some of the hospitals mentioned are in low socioeconomic areas with little GP service so EDs are overstretched. What will happen?

Underfund and starve the public system of staff, skills and resources, all while selling it off. Once they privatise, the cost of private health insurance will be beyond the average worker (including nurses) but hey, welcome to a US-style health system!

I am afraid that by the time the next state election comes around Baird will have sold off all of our public assets. This makes me feel quite ill.

We need to come together in a cohesive group; we need to get bloody angry about these changes; we need to stand up individually and collectively to fight like we have never fought before...

Every nurse must stand up now and say NO, otherwise we will be looking at wages and conditions from the 70s.

Baird has no licence to sell our health system.

This is what Baird’s Enabling Act is intended for, to take away employees’ rights, award and conditions once they are forced to transfer over to the private sector.

Let’s privatise parliament and sell the pollies off!

I am bloody angry this decision has been made. If we sit on this and don’t come together as a cohesive group then it will be the death knell of a public system of health care... oh please get angry, get passionate about this secretive government.

Wyong staff have been told in staff meetings only yesterday that a consultation period is NOW UNDERWAY. As usual all about the $$$ and not the people I think the general population also assume private hospitals are a higher standard than public and don’t fully understand the place each type of hospital plays... And are ignorant to assume their ‘private Heath cover’ covers for everything.

Private providers laughing all the way to their banks.

Private hospitals will never reduce nurse to patient ratios as they have shareholders who expect dividends. The really sad thing is that patients scrape and save to pay for private insurance in the belief they get better care in the private sector. What a joke! If only they knew. All they’re paying for is a private room and maybe better food but certainly not better care than the public system.

This is a disgusting indictment on our government! This is health! Sure there is big money in the many procedures and surgeries, but for countless others they are sick, injured and our government wants to make money off this...

Public hospital nurses, our job security and entitlements are up the creek. This is the biggest fight to retain public patient care in public hospitals. Our patients are not pawns to be moved about so money can be made! Staff are not pawns to change our conditions so we lose longstanding entitlements promised under our awards or agreements! Stand together!

Wherever you are in NSW please don’t blindly sweep past this information because it’s not happening in your area. The only difference between them and us is it hasn’t happened YET! Pulling together all NSW communities (people power) is the only way. These people (Baird etc.) do not give a toss about you and yours unless you are rich.

This is just the beginning of the end of public health care.

Don’t forget us old nurses when you are holding your campaign. We remember the failed Port Macquarie Hospital privatisation.

Wingecarribee Bowral – Bowral Hospital members facing the unwelcome threat of privatisation.

Wyong branch – It was standing and floor-room only at this Wyong branch meeting.

Petitions – Goulburn nurses wore blue wigs to gather signatures to keep their hospital public.

Goulburn flags – An impromptu protest in Goulburn – community feeling is running strong.

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 37

Registered and Enrolled Nurse members of the Association are invited to apply for an OPWC Aged Care Scholarship The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association is pleased to announce the final round of the Old People’s Welfare Council (OPWC) Scholarships, opening for application on 1 November 2016.

OPWC Scholarships are available under the following categories:

WHO MAY APPLY

CATEGORY 2: Scholarships for extended study (duration over 6 months) leading to the award of a formal qualification at a recognised tertiary institution in Australia or overseas.

1 Registered or Enrolled nurses; 2 You must be currently registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia; 3 A financial member of the NSWNMA; 4 You must be currently working in aged care; 5 The scholarship is open to Australian citizens and permanent residents.

CATEGORY 1: Scholarships for a short course (duration less than 6 months), study tour or conference, either in Australia or overseas, not necessarily leading to an award or an additional formal qualification.

Please note, applications are for studies being undertaken in the academic year 2017.

TO APPLY 1 Read the Scholarship Terms and Conditions at www.nswnma.asn.au/education 2 Complete the OPWC Scholarship application form 3 Send your application to NSWNMA by 5pm, Monday 19 December 2016.

FAX 02 9662 1414 MAIL M. West, OPWC Scholarships EMAIL gensec@nswnma.asn.au NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association 50 O’Dea Avenue, Waterloo NSW 2017 FOR ENQUIRIES, please contact the Association on 1300 367 962 or (02) 8595 1234

ADVT.pdf 1 5/26/2015 7:35:24 AM

The Scholarship program is due to a generous grant by the Old Peoples Welfare Council Ltd to the NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association. The Scholarships aim to enhance the care of older people by supporting the undertaking of further studies by nurses who would then apply their learning in their aged care work.

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NURSING RESEARCH ONLINE

Reducing the risk of elder abuse Last month we celebrated the International Day of Older Persons in recognition of the global significance of an ageing population and the contribution older people make to our society both economically and socially.

To coincide with this event, NSWNMA has published a report about nurse responses to elder abuse: Solutions From The Frontline.

A grandson of a resident accessed

Families disregard nursing

his grandmother’s account and

advice and manhandle residents

took a large amount of her money.

by forcing food into them.

Assistant in nursing rACF

registered nurse rACF

and health care providers about the effects Ageism, the direct or indirect discrimination because of age, continues to exist in of ageism and by advocating for the delivery healthcare. Older people are seen as ‘bed of unbiased care. As nurses we must blockers’ or ‘burdensome’ and aged care challenge societal attitudes towards older of aged care providers to ensure residents are are well placed to identify financial abuse. This often suffers lowersupported staffing ratios than people, argueto for wage and parity and safe skill to make decisions is a key outcome is possibly attributable the ongoing 72% of workers to be by the AACQA personal the carecare. they deliver. other services. This istested despite many, older mixnature in ofaged We must continue to said they need more training on how to keep A recent inquiry into elder abuse held inin Gerontology, people having multiple co-morbidities and develop career pathways residents safe when power of attorney/assisted NSW explored power of attorney failures in polypharmacy. In decision-making all other specialisms increasing the number of specialist aged arrangements arethese required. depth and recommended that laws be enhanced This would suggests that regulation does sorts of presentations beexisting viewed care practitioners. to provide additional safeguards where such not ensure aged care providers adequately arrangements are made . However, our survey as clinically complex and professionally 2015/16 has seen a focus on elder abuse, train staff to support decision-making and highlighted that as likely identifiers of financial challenging, worthy of aleaves long-term therefore the people career in their care which isworkers a further example abuse, direct care at all levels also need of ageism vulnerable to abuse. pathway. Yet gerontology continues to greater knowledge andon support this of life of some impacting theregarding quality be seen as a second choice and issue. requirevulnerable. aged and disability Around 20% of thesomewhat nursing workforce said ofFailure our tomost Earlier in 2016, service providers to implement mandated they had direct experience of power of attorney inferior area of work.

Often staff working an ininquiry into training this area will furtherelder diminishabuse their was held in failures, leading mainly to financial abuse of in aged care receive lower wages and poorer NSW. A authority surveyto of NSWNMA members staff’s ability and pursue these older people by relatives. This is a significant working conditions than issues and provide necessary safeguards. figure whichtheir indicatescounterparts that direct care workers and a subsequent report highlighted the in areas such as emergency care or children’s daily challenges faced by staff working in nursing. residential aged care facilities and the types of elder abuse The nursing Have you ever encountered and workforce itself witnessed/ experienced by is also subject to experienced elder those they care ageism. It is not abuse committed by people acting for. The report uncommon for as appointed highlighted older nurses to decision-makers that aged care be sidelined for under instruments such as powers nurses face promotion for yes: 1 in 5 (21.51 ) of attorney? daily challenges fear they may managing imminently (NSWNMA survey) aggressive retire or require behaviours and are often at risk of assault. more time off due to ill health.

Our aged care members and those working Ageism is not only12 |prevalent in healthcare, Solutions from the frontline in disability services told us that not only but in society in general. Earlier in 2016, were they dealing with elder abuse on a the NSW government stated their intention to remove a longstanding legislative daily basis, but that they also struggle to requirement to retain 24-hour, on-site access know how to advocate for people when to a registered nurse for the most vulnerable their relatives or the aged care providers living in residential aged care. This is despite caring for them are not making decisions year-on-year rising acuity and an increasing in their best interests. number of admissions of people for end of The issues raised through the NSW Inquiry life palliation. The removal of registered have prompted a federal inquiry. nurses from aged care, without any In October, to coincide with the consideration of how residents’ healthcare International Day of Older Persons, we needs will be met, would undoubtedly have released a paper that contains widespread caused uproar if announced for an acute recommendations for both the staffing of medical ward in a public hospital. aged care services and the regulation of aged care services. By highlighting the issues CHANGING ATTITUDES TOWARDS facing frontline workers and the people THE ELDERLY they care for, we hope to raise awareness of Nurses are able to offset prejudice against ageism and assist nurses to deal with this in the elderly and improve the quality of their their workplace. health care by educating patients, families

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association

Professional issues | 2

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Solutions from the frontline Practical approaches to reduce the risk of abuse in aged and disability services

Solutions from the Frontline – practical approaches to reduce the risk of abuse in aged and disability services – can be downloaded from the NSWNMA website (www.nswnma.asn.au).

More information World Health Organisation (2016) International Day of Older Persons 2016. (http:// www.who.int/ageing/events/ idop_rationale/en/) Take the WHO Ageing Attitudes Quiz – http://www.who.int/ ageing/features/attitudes-quiz/ en/ Simkins, Chelsea L. (2007) “Ageism’s Influence on Health Care Delivery and Nursing Practice,” Journal of Student Nursing Research: Vol. 1: Issue.

1, Article 5.

(Available at: http://repository. upenn.edu/josnr/vol1/iss1/5) NSWNMA (2015) Who will keep me safe? Elder abuse in residential aged care facilities. (www.nswnma.asn.au)

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 39

Update your membership details online & go into the draw to

win a smart watch IT’S EASY! Log into the Association’s online portal at www.nswna.asn.au to check your membership details are correct. Do this at a time that suits you and your name will automatically go in the draw to WIN AN APPLE OR ANDROID SMART WATCH*!

For a chance to win, simply register with your membership number, name and email address and create your own password. Then use your member number and password to log in directly to the Members login area on the website.

You can now change your details at any time – address, workplace, credit card number, mobile number, etc.

You can pay fees online, print a tax statement or request a reprint of your membership card – IT’S SIMPLE. All those who use our online portal from 1 July – 30 November 2016 will be automatically entered into the draw.

*The winner will be able to select one of these watches.

Winner must be a financial member of the NSWNMA.

Membership online via www.nswnma.asn.au 40 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

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Across 1. Abnormal softness of the eyeball (16) 10. Acute cerebellar ataxia (1.1.1) 11. A wall cupboard used for storage (7) 12. To apply a substance–by injection, inhalation, ingestion or by other means, to the body (10) 13. A person appointed or elected to a position of responsibility or authority (7) 16. Of unknown cause, as a disease (10) 18. A thimble-shaped mass of cells that covers and protects the root tip (4.3) 19. A condition marked by deterioration of mental, physical, or moral processes (10) 20. Tinea (7) 21. Persistently unwilling to accept change; obstinate (12) 25. Non-gonococcal urethritis (1.1.1) 26. Specific dynamic action (1.1.1) 28. Impossible to part (11)

31. With no delay; at once (4) 32. Feels unwell (4) 34. Caesarean delivery followed by careful closure of the uterine wound by three tiers of sutures (7.9) Down 1. False beliefs experienced in the delirium associated with injury to the brain (7.9) 2. The ability of a cell to give rise to unlike cells and so to develop a new organism or part (11) 3. Simultaneous existence of conflicting attitudes, emotions, ideas, or wishes toward the same object (11) 4. To cast off feathers, hair, or cuticle; to undergo ecdysis (4) 5. Made up of minute crystals (16) 6. A place equipped for making tests or doing experimental work (abbrev.) (3) 7. Some of the smallest lobules of compound

glands (5) 8. Able to (3) 9. The ability of a gene or virus to bring about the synthesis of another molecule like itself from smaller molecules within the cell (16) 14. The four radial grooves that separate five slightly thicker areas of the foot plates (4.4) 15. To laugh loudly (10) 17. Rough or grating in sound, as of a voice (6) 22. Any activity that brings a victim of disaster or accident to safety (6) 23. Opening the mouth wide (6) 24. A trademark for a protease inhibitor (6) 27. Double-stranded (1.1) 29. Symbol for barium (2) 30. Elliptocytosis (1.1) 33. A health resort (3) THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 41

RECRUIT A NEW MEMBER & GO INTO THE DRAW TO WIN A 4-NIGHT STAY AT

LOCKYER VALLEY, QUEENSLAND

PRIZE DRAWN 30 JUNE 2017

THE 2016 – 2017 NSWNMA MEMBER RECRUITMENT SCHEME PRIZE The winner will experience all the style and comfort of a luxury retreat with the warmest of country welcomes. A four night (midweek) stay for two with: • Wine and Cheese plate on arrival; • Breakfast daily; • 2 x 2 course lunches; • 2 x 3 course dinners; • 2 x 60 minute facial or massage for 2 guests (4 in total) • 4 wheel drive tour for 2 guests.

42 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

The NSWNMA will arrange return flights for two from Sydney to Brisbane and car hire for the duration of the prize.

Spicers Retreat Hidden Vale is a gem, an uncomplicated escape just an hour’s drive from Brisbane.

Experience the uniquely revitalising effect of spending time on 12,000 acres of true Australia bush. Space to relax. Space to listen, to laugh and to embark on an adventure amongst the abundant wildlife.

Every member you sign up over the year gives you an entry in the draw!

RECRUITERS NOTE:

Join online at www.nswnma.asn.au If you refer a member to join online, make sure you ask them to put your name and workplace on the online application form. You will then be entitled to your vouchers and entry in the NSWNMA Recruitment Incentive scheme.

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Conditions apply. Prize must be redeemed by 30 June 2018 and is for stays outside of School Holiday periods, midweek (Monday to Thursday). Competition opens on 1 August 2016 and closes 30 June 2017. The prize will be drawn on 30 June 2017. If a redraw is required for an unclaimed prize it must be held up to 3 months from the original draw date.

NSW Permit no: LTPM/16/00329.

BOOK ME All the latest Book Me reviews from The Lamp can be read online at www.nswnma.asn.au/library-services/book-reviews.

TRAUMA COUNSELLING: THEORIES AND INTERVENTIONS Lisa Levers Springer Publishing Co (available from Footprint Books): http://www.footprint.com.au RRP $106.00. ISBN 9780826106834 Trauma Counseling is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary guide to the theory and treatment of survivors of a broad spectrum of traumatic events, including interpersonal violence, hate crimes, school violence, community violence, natural disasters, and war and terrorism. The book discusses evidencebased trauma assessment and intervention techniques and integrates the latest findings from neuropsychology and psychopharmacology.

THE EXCHANGE STRATEGY FOR MANAGING CONFLICT IN HEALTH CARE: HOW TO DEFUSE EMOTIONS AND CREATE SOLUTIONS WHEN THE STAKES ARE HIGH Steven Dinkin, Barbara Filne McGraw Hill (available from McGraw Hill): http://www.mheducation.com.au RRP $34.95. ISBN 9780071801966 The proven four-step method for improving communication and managing conflict in any healthcare setting. The Exchange Strategy for Managing Conflict in Health Care delivers a wealth of strategies and techniques for structuring conversations about conflicts and issues in groups large and small.

NURSING CALCULATIONS 9TH EDITION J.D. Gatford and N.M. Phillips Elsevier (available from Elsevier): www.elsevierhelath.com.au RRP $32.41. ISBN 9780402062315

This internationally renowned guide to basic arithmetic for nursing students has been completely revised and updated for a new generation of readers. Now entering its ninth edition, Nursing Calculations comes with a quick-reference card which fits in the pocket to remind readers of essential formulae and an on-line program to allow further self-testing via the use of computers and mobile devices.

DISCOUNT BOOKS FOR MEMBERS! The Library is pleased to announce that McGraw Hill Publishers are now offering members a 25% discount off the RRP! The offer currently covers medical as well as a range of other professional series books. Please see the online Book Me reviews for a link to the promotion code and further instructions, or contact the Library directly for further information.

SPECIAL INTEREST NURSES OF THE OUTBACK Annabelle Brayley (available from Penguin Books): http:// www.angusrobertson.com.au RRP $18.97. ISBN 9780143798323

The work of a nurse is challenging enough, but when you add a remote location, the stakes are so much higher. Meet fifteen courageous people who prove that the inland runs on nurse power.

There’s Anna, who is on duty as the fury of Cyclone Yasi tears through inland Queensland; Maureen in outback New South Wales, who faces everything from a snakebite to a helicopter crash; Aggie, who overcomes her demons to help young people in the Kimberley; and Catherine, newly graduated and determined to make a difference in the Gulf Country she and her rodeo-riding husband call home. From some of the most remote places on the earth, these stories bring the outback to life.

LAW FOR NURSES AND MIDWIVES 8TH EDITION Patricia Staunton and Mary Chiarella

JR Medical Books: (available from JR Medical Books): http://www. medicalbooks.com.au, RRP $76.46.

ISBN 9780729542456 Law for Nurses and Midwives is the most highly respected health law text for nursing and midwifery students studying law as part of their degree. Now in its 8th edition, this fundamental text outlines legal issues and responsibilities specific to both nursing and midwifery practice and features the legislation relevant to the provision of safe, quality healthcare in Australia. Authored

by Patricia Staunton and Mary Chiarella, this fully revised edition includes updates to case law and the latest information on nursing and midwifery governance and the professional regulation of nurses and midwives.

All books can be ordered through the publisher or your local bookshop. NSWNMA members can borrow the books featured here via the Library’s Online Catalogue: visit http://www.nswnma.asn.au/library-services. Call 8595 1234 or 1300 367 962, or email gensec@nswnma.asn.au for assistance with loans or research.

Some books are reviewed using information supplied and have not been independently reviewed.

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 43

MOVIES OF THE MONTH

METRO MEMBER GIVEAWAY I Daniel Blake A sobering tale from a modern day Dickens Sue Miles warns that Ken Loach does not make films that “are soft” and I Daniel Blake is true and brutally real.

Daniel is 59, a proud working man, recently widowed, in the north east of England, recovering from a recent major heart attack, and doing the right thing, as advised by his medical team, consultant, nurse and physiotherapist.

Dan is unable to work due to existing health risks and needs for the first time in his life to get assistance from the state, i.e the dole. His story is told with stark and fierce plainness: unadorned, unapologetic, even uninvolved.

At the job centre he makes a friend in Katie. She has relocated to Newcastle, 300 miles from her family in London, where she had been living in a homeless shelter. Because of the move, Katie has her benefits frozen, leaving her penniless, while Daniel, a man whose doctor says he is too ill to work, has to spend

RURAL MEMBER GIVEAWAY DVD 44 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

35 hours a week applying for jobs he can’t take, on the orders of the jobcentre “work coach”.

It is a surreal, dehumanised world and Daniel makes a stand on behalf of Katie, and for those trying to keep their sense of self-pride in a world in which empathy has little place and no allowance is made for the chaos of everyday life.

The film shows a great understanding that poverty is systemic, not down to character failure, as many politicians imply. A factory closing, a spell of illness and life unravels when income is modest, a theme often overlooked.

Loach has the ability to capture the demolition of the soul of decent people, as the social contract between citizen and government is ripped apart by the rules of bureaucracy. A department that is meant to assist the general public instead destroys their self-worth.

Loach’s films are often about the ordinary man and woman, eventually pushed to take direct action because they have nothing left to lose but their self-respect. Loach is a modern day Dickens. He is a master at turning the abstract concepts of inequality and social justice into films about lives that matter.

This is a film worth seeing, but take tissues and plan a reflective drink on the way home.

Sue Miles is a CNC at RPA hospital

EMAIL The Lamp

BY THE 12TH OF THE MONTH TO BE IN THE DRAW TO WIN A DOUBLE PASS TO I DANIEL BLAKE THANKS TO TRANSMISSION FILMS. EMAIL YOUR NAME, MEMBERSHIP NUMBER, ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER TO lamp@ nswnma.asn.au FOR A CHANCE TO WIN!

Agatha Raisin Series One Agatha Raisin is a former high-flyer from the world of PR, who takes early retirement and rejects London life for the quiet, picturesque Cotswold village of Carsely. However, such a succession of perplexing murders on her doorstep, life turns out to be anything but quiet and Agatha finds herself getting into all sorts of scrapes and awkward situations, both in a bid to solve each crime and to settle into village life.

Over the course of the series, Agatha gets embroiled with militant ramblers, competitive gardeners, flirtatious vets and an ex-husband she had presumed to be dead. Each episode works as a standalone mystery, with some threads that weave throughout the series, such

METRO MEMBER GIVEAWAY The Legend of Ben Hall A tough tale of the NSW west The Legend of Ben Hall is epic, beautifully filmed and a graphic slice of Australian history says James Mabbutt.

The Legend of Ben Hall is about an Australia that does not exist 150 years on.

No towns are seen. It is set in the bush or open plains or in small huts and buildings, giving some insight into the challenges and isolation of life so long ago.

The story is based on dates and events in central and south western NSW. Many of you ‘western cousins’ will know the places and the stories and probably have some family connection.

The theme of Hall’s love for his son and the loss he felt when his wife left threads itself through the movie. There is strong support in the country for Hall, whose parents were convicts. The animosity towards the authorities is also a key theme that is the base for his support.

as Agatha’s on-off relationship with neighbour James Lacey (Jamie Glover), her constant efforts to ingratiate herself with the wary locals and her regular obstruction of, and admonishment by, the local police.

AGATHA RAISIN is based on the best-selling series of mystery novels by M.C. Beaton.

Ben Hall, played by Jack Martin, is an imposing, torn, aloof, ‘western’ character. There is an excellent, large, well-supported ensemble cast.

Jamie Coffa, the reckless Canadian and the uncertain William Lee, make the trio that evade the authorities with increased fame. Two policemen are killed doing their job and the colony makes dramatic laws in order to capture the trio. Do the Bushrangers feast on the spoils going to the wealthy? Or is it bad people making excuses for their crimes?

Songs were written about Ben Hall. He is romanticised as a non-killer, Robin Hood-type character who was gunned down, not firing a shot.

But he robbed hundreds and threatened many, even his ex-wife, to take his son away from her.

This realistic, well thought out homage to the west tells a tough story. The beauty of the land is on show with a focus on the people who struggle to live in it.

Sit back, enjoy and get as comfortable as you can.

James Mabbutt is an Acute Care Community Mental Health Nurse

EMAIL The Lamp BY THE 12TH OF THE MONTH TO BE IN THE DRAW TO WIN A DOUBLE PASS TO THE LEGEND OF BEN HALL THANKS TO PINNACLE FILMS. EMAIL YOUR NAME, MEMBERSHIP NUMBER, ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER TO lamp@ nswnma.asn.au FOR A CHANCE TO WIN!

MAIL THE LAMP BY THE 15TH OF THIS MONTH TO BE IN THE DRAW TO WIN A DVD OF AGATHA RAISIN SERIES ONE THANKS TO RLJ ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES. EMAIL YOUR NAME, MEMBERSHIP NUMBER, ADDRESS AND TELEPHONE NUMBER TO lamp@nswnma. asn.au FOR A CHANCE TO WIN!

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 45

COVER STORY DIARY DATES — CONFERENCES, SEMINARS, MEETINGS DIARY DATES IS A FREE SERVICE FOR MEMBERS Please send event details in the format used here: event name, date and location, contact details – by the 5th of each preceding month. Send your event details to: lamp@nswnma.asn.au Fax 02 9662 1414 Post 50 O’Dea Ave, Waterloo NSW 2017. All listings are edited for the purposes of style and space. Priority is given to non-profit professional events.

DIARY DATES IS A FREE SERVICE FOR MEMBERS lamp @ nswnma.asn.au NSW POWH Aged Care Psychiatry 2016 Annual Forum Kick Start Healthy Ageing Wednesday 9 November 10am-1pm The Juniors, 558A Anzac Parade, Kingsford RSVP: ACPSforum@gmail.com or 9382 3753 Perioperative Nursing Seminar 12 November Rydges Parramatta, Rosehill www.acutecareeducation.com. au/seminar/perioperativenursing-seminar-sydney-nsw-4/ Wound Interest Group Western Sydney Nutrition for Diabetics/ Wound healing Monday 14 November Our Lady of Consolation ACF, Rooty Hill RSVP Michelle 98325433 Australian Women’s Health Nurse Association 30-Year Inservice 17-18 November Carrington Hotel, Katoomba Jenny.Bath@hneheath.nsw. gov.au ‘Building Blocks of Critical Care’ Adult & Paediatric Seminar 18 November University of NSW www.acccn.com.au/events/ event/nsw-critical-care-seminar18-november-2016 Perioperative Nursing Seminar 26 November Mercure Wagga Wagga www.acutecareeducation.com. au/seminar/perioperativenursing-seminar-wagga-waggansw-2/ 26th Nepean Midwifery Conference 10 March 2017 Hawkesbury Valley Race Club, Clarendon Juanita Taylor: 0417 123 900 2017 Westmead Women’s and Newborn Health Conference 5-6 May 2017 Education and Conference Centre, Westmead Hospital WSLHDWomen&newbornhealth@ health.nsw.gov/au Resus at the Park 1-2 June 2017 Luna Park, Sydney http://resusatthepark.org.au/

4th International Collaboration of Perianaesthesia Nurses [ICPAN] Conference 1-4 November 2017 Luna Park, Sydney www.icpan2017.com.au

INTERSTATE Clinical Nursing & Nurse Education 2016 7-9 November Melbourne www.clinical.nursingconference. com Asia Pacific Coroners Society Conference 8-11 November Pan Pacific Perth, Western Australia www.dcconferences.com.au/ apcsc2016/; 02 9954 4400 or apcsc2016@dcconferences. com.au ACPAN National Conference 12 November Park Hyatt, Melbourne, VIC www.acpan.edu.au 5th Closing the Gap Indigenous Health Conference and 2016 World Indigenous Allied Health Conference 1-3 December Pullman Cairns International Hotel, Cairns www.indigenousconferences.com 15th World Congress on Public Health 3-7 April 2017 Melbourne www.wcph2017.com

INTERNATIONAL Climate and Health Care conference Marrakech, Morocco November 16 2016 www.greenhospitals.net/ climate-conference Emergency Care Conference

6-10 February 2017 Hokkaido, Japan www.emsconferences.com.au 6th World Congress of Clinical Safety 6-8 September 2017 Rome, Italy www.iarmm.org/6WCCS

REUNIONS Lewisham Hospital Graduate Nurses Association Annual Lunch 5 November at Ryde Chris Majewski 0401 866 377 chris.majewski@bunzl.com.au Luke Bohun 4371 7098 lukebohun@netkey.com.au Burn unit Concord Reunion 6 November 2016 The Oaks Hotel, Neutral Bay Contact: Sarah (Dot) Roberts: sarah.roberts@sswahs.nsw.gov. au Natalie Ko: Natalie.ko@ sswahs.nsw.gov.au Sue Taggart: Susan.taggart@sswahs.nsw.gov. au Miranda Pye: Miranda.pye@ sswahs.nsw.gov.au Australian Women’s Health Nurses Association 30-Year Reunion Dinner 18 November Carrington Hotel, Katoomba Jenny Bath: Jenny.Bath@ hnehealth.nsw.gov.au St Vincent’s Darlinghurst PTS Class January 1977 40-Year Reunion Mary Piechowski (nee Morris): piechow@grapevine.com.au Anne Barudi (nee Whelan): annebarudi@optusnet.com.au Tamworth Base Hospital February 1976 intake 40-Year Reunion Contacts: Sandra Cox: sandra. cox@hnehealth.nsw Sean O’Connor: 0408 349 126 Gerard Jeffery: 0417 664 993

CROSSWORD SOLUTION

Seven year old Katie* still needs a foster carer.

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You could be exactly who Katie needs.

46 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016

Auburn Hospital October 1976-1979 40-Year Reunion Sharon Byers: 0419 144 965 or sbyers01@bigpond.net.au Margaret Borg (Mueller): 0431 159 964 or margaret_borg@ bigpond.com Royal Prince Alfred Hospital January 1977 (including Rachel Foster Hospital) 40-Year Reunion 3 Day Comedy Cruise P&O Pacific Pearl; Cruise Number: P207 Booking Reference: GNVQXN Departs Sydney – 27 January 2017 Contact Michele Kristidis (nee ‘Lee’ Sweeney): michelekristidis@hotmail.com RAHC Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children PTS 1977 40-Year Reunion 4-5 February 2017 Coleen Holland (Argall): bobandcolh@yahoo.com.au St Vincent’s Darlinghurst PTS Class March 1977 40-Year Reunion 25 March 2017 Frances O’Connor (nee Pugh): 0415764131 or fgoconnor@ optusnet.com.au 25 -Year reunion: 1992 UWS Nepean Graduating Class July 2017 Sydney, NSW Bede McKinnon: bede01@ bigpond.com Sutherland Hospital PTS 1977 40-Year Reunion 7 January 2017 Caringbah Contacts: Adele Adams: 0432 962 162 Barbara Saville: 0421 986 869 Gary Clark: 0422 703 206

Call us today 1800 663 441

barnardos.org.au/katie-and-amy ABN 18 068 557 906 | A Company Limited by Guarantee | Registered Charity | *Names changed and models used for privacy | FAF_15_00552

30 hour CAR SALE

1

BIG THE

FI EA OUR TIC NA SY TH K N E B S A CE OX LL ES

AHG’s

BIG TIMETS

LANDER NISSAN

DISCOUNNDS ON THOUSA OF CARS!

11TH »13TH NOVEMBER

%

P.A. COMPARISON RATE†

FINANCE ACROSS THE NISSAN RANGE AT LANDER NISSAN INCLUDING GENUINE ACCESSORIES

PLUS

EXCLUSIVE TO LAMP READERS!^ 12 MONTHS FREE SCHEDULED SERVICING

JUKE ST MANUAL JUKE JUKE MANUAL MANUAL $STST PER WEEK JUKE NO DEPOSIT PER WEEK †(5) $$ PER WEEK

84 84$ 84 JUKE 84 $84

†(5) ST MANUAL NO DEPOSIT †(5) NO DEPOSIT

PER WEEK †(5) ST MANUALNO DEPOSIT

WITH EVERY NEW CAR SOLD DURING NOVEMBER!

PATHFINDER ST 2WD AUTO PATHFINDER PATHFINDER 2WD AUTO 2WD AUTO $STST PER WEEK PATHFINDER NO DEPOSIT PER WEEK †(4) $$ PER WEEK

139 139$ 139 PATHFINDER 139 $139 †(4) ST 2WD AUTO†(4) NO DEPOSIT NO DEPOSIT

PER WEEK †(4) ST 2WD AUTONO DEPOSIT

PER WEEK NO DEPOSIT †(5)

QASHQAI ST MANUAL QASHQAI QASHQAI MANUAL $STST$MANUAL , QASHQAI $

27 27,990 ,990 27 990 $$91 $QASHQAI 27,990 $91 91 $$27,990 91 $91 ST MANUAL DRIVEAWAY* DRIVEAWAY* DRIVEAWAY*

PER ST WEEK MANUAL NO DEPOSIT PER WEEK †(1) DRIVEAWAY* PER WEEK NO DEPOSIT †(1)†(1) NO DEPOSIT

PER WEEK NO DEPOSIT †(4)

X-TRAIL ST 2WD MANUAL X-TRAIL X-TRAIL 2WD MANUAL MANUAL $STST$2WD , X-TRAIL $

29 29,990 ,990 29 990 $$97 $X-TRAIL 29,990 $97 97 $$29,990 97 $97 ST 2WD MANUAL DRIVEAWAY* DRIVEAWAY* DRIVEAWAY*

PERST WEEK 2WD MANUAL NO DEPOSIT PER WEEK †(2) DRIVEAWAY* PER WEEK †(2) NO DEPOSIT †(2) NO DEPOSIT

PER WEEK †(2) DRIVEAWAY*

NAVARA RX DUAL CAB 4X4 MANUAL NAVARA NAVARA INCLUDING ALLOY WHEELS

DUAL CAB 4X4 MANUAL RXRX DUAL CAB 4X4 MANUAL AND FENDER FLARES INCLUDING ALLOY WHEELS INCLUDING ALLOY WHEELS AND FENDER FLARES AND FENDER FLARES RX DUAL CAB 4X4 MANUAL INCLUDING ALLOY WHEELS AND FENDER FLARES DRIVEAWAY* DRIVEAWAY* DRIVEAWAY* RX DUAL CAB 4X4 MANUAL INCLUDING ALLOY WHEELS PER ANDWEEK FENDER FLARES (3) NO DEPOSIT PER WEEK †DRIVEAWAY* PER WEEK NO DEPOSIT †(3)†(3) NO DEPOSIT

38 38,,990 ,990 38 990 NAVARA $ $$126 38,990 $126 126$$38,990 126 $126 $$ $

NAVARA

PER WEEK DRIVEAWAY* NO DEPOSIT †

DEPOSIT †1% comparison rate for approved personal applicants and 1% annual percentage rate for approved NO business applicants of Nissan Financial Services (Australian Credit PER WEEK DRIVEAWAY* Licence Number 391464) only.

NOMaximum DEPOSIT †(1)term 36 months. Terms, conditions and fees apply. No deposit for approved applicants only. WARNING: This comparison rate is true only for the example given and may not include all fees and charges. Different terms, fees or other loan amounts might result in a different comparison PER rate.WEEK PER WEEK NO DEPOSIT †(2) Comparison rate for the purpose of the National Credit Code is based on a 5 year secured loan of NO $30,000 although this offer relates to a 36 month term only. Offer DEPOSIT PER WEEK available on new models purchased between 1/10/16 and 30/11/16 and delivered by 31/12/16.Excludes GT-R; 370Z; Y62 Patrol; Y61 Patrol C/C; Single Cab, King Cab and NO DEPOSIT †(1) 4x2 Navara models; and special editions. Accessories offer only available when accessories are purchased with qualifying vehicle. Excludes Government, Rental and National Fleet customers. Weekly offer based on a consumer loan for a non-premium paint vehicle with a driveaway price of (1) $27,990.00 (2) $29,990.00 (3) $38,990.00 (4) $42,990.00 (5) $25,990.00 financed over 36 months with monthly repayments of (1) $391.11 (2) $419.06 (3 )$544.82 (4) $600.71 (5) $363.16 and a balloon payment of (1) $14,554.80 (2) $15,594.80 (3) $20,274.80 (4) $22,354.80 (5 )$13,514.80. Total amount payable over the term (1) $28,634.76 (2) $30,680.96 (3) $39,888.32 (4) $43,980.36 (5) $26,588.56. Nissan reserves the right to vary, extend or withdraw this offer. Not available in conjunction with any other offer. *Maximum recommended driveaway prices for new models ordered between 1/10/16 and 30/11/16 and delivered by 31/12/16. Prices may vary between dealers. Excludes Government, Rental and National Fleet customers. Nissan reserves the right to vary or extend this offer. Premium paint available at additional cost. ^Offer only applicable to new cars sold between 1 and 30 November 2016. Not redeemable for cash and not available in conjunction with any other offers. Service must be carried out at the Lander Service Centre. See in-store for details. All other offers end 30th November 2016. Highland Kackell Pty Ltd trading as Lander Nissan dealer license MD20305.

YPA2245-FP

NISSAN

ONLY 4 MINS FROM PROSPECT HWY TURN OFF ON THE M4

02 8884 4477 | 37 Blacktown Road | Blacktown www.landernissan.com.au

THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 | 47

COVER STORY

We do everything as if you are here You work hard caring for others; we work hard to care for you.

Your needs, your goals, your future.

You wouldn’t have it any other way. Neither would we.

Winner.

Best Growth Super Fund.

firststatesuper.com.au | 1300 650 873 Consider our product disclosure statement before making a decision about First State Super. Call us or visit our website for a copy. FSS Trustee Corporation 48 | THE LAMP NOVEMBER 2016 ABN 11 118 202 672 ASFL 293340 is the trustee of the First State Superannuation Scheme ABN 53 226 460 365.